Australia edge New Zealand 24-22 as Ponga awaits scans on arm injury

Australia beat New Zealand 24-22 in the men's Rugby League World Cup opener in Sydney on Thursday, with Jack Bostock scoring the winning try to complete a hat-trick. BBC Sport reported that the narrow defeat also left New Zealand awaiting medical checks on Kalyn Ponga, who played on with a suspected arm fracture before being withdrawn late in the match.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERm5dohbKBg

Ponga scored two tries after switching his international allegiance to New Zealand before the tournament. One came from a run from deep that included a step past Australia full-back Reece Walsh. His evening changed after he was hurt in a tackle involving Cameron Munster, leaving coach Stacey Jones with an injury concern alongside the disappointment of losing the opening match.

Jones said Ponga continued for about 20 minutes despite the injury. According to the coach's account carried by BBC Sport, the Newcastle Knights player was in considerable discomfort and could no longer catch the ball. Jones said scans were needed to assess a possible fracture and that no decision would be made immediately about his availability. Ponga's further involvement in the tournament therefore remained uncertain, rather than ruled out.

Walsh, meanwhile, made an influential return after eight weeks without playing while recovering from an ankle injury. He stopped Ponga with a first-half tackle that prevented a try and later scored following a 60-metre run. Those contributions helped Australia turn the contest in their favour, but the effort also left Walsh suffering from cramp and vomiting during a demanding first match back.

Australia coach Kevin Walters praised both sides of Walsh's performance, placing particular importance on his defensive intervention as well as his attacking contributions. Walters said the full-back had not had enough energy to take the kick at goal. Captain Isaah Yeo also highlighted the difficulty of returning straight into a contest of that intensity after such a long absence, crediting Walsh's ability to evade defenders.

Other players also finished the opener with physical concerns. Mitchell Moses initially tried to continue with a calf problem but went off just after half-time, while Yeo had delayed surgery on an injured pectoral muscle to participate in the tournament. For New Zealand, the immediate medical question centred on Ponga, whose two-try performance ended with scans required to establish the extent of his arm injury.