FULLTIME :: Despite a spirited effort, Tonga go down, 34-16 against a clinical Australian line-up! A magnificent crowd of 26,000 plus were on hand, on what will go down as a memorable night for Rugby League. Stay tuned for our post-match coverage, soon!
Cook is done for a professional foul. He gets an early shower.. then Tonga lose it. Australia will see the game out now.
Woods tries to offload, it goes right into the Tongan hands! Can they send this massive crowd out with a huge play! Fusitua streaks through, is held down..
Another short kick from Tonga, Tedesco is on point though, saves the day! GLDO again..
Tedesco is given a german suplex there! Wow! Ben Murdoch-Masila is monstered then Hingano chips ahead which hits the crossbar, right into the hands of the Aussie fullback, who is swarmed! GLDO.
SIX MORE.. Lolohea refuses to go down, and some frantic passing gave Tonga six more! PENALTY Tonga!
Tonga need something quickly, and Michael Jennings bursts through.. checks inside and out, forgos the pass, lobs it back inside to TPJ who is taken.
Fifita trying to get his side back into it, tosses it inside for Cordner to fall on. Aussies back in it.
Aussies cough it up right from kick-off! McLean spills it.
Holmes misses it left.
Incisive move from Australia which should end the contest! Hunt with crisp service from DH, gave Keary room to move, then it was a simple pass move for Tedesco to slice through.
PENALTY AUSTRALIA! Flop on the Australia captain. The raucous crowd has slightly diminished as the Aussies confer.. then tap it.
Game has settled down at this point. Ben Hunt, now in the dummy half role, found touch for Aus then Tui Lolohea put a bomb on the chest of Tedesco. Aussies just over halfway.
Superb cover defense from the Tongans! Gagai looked like he had some room, stepped inside but got met by the Tongan hit party across the sideline.
Untidy ending to the set for Australia. Tedesco takes on the line, shoots it back to Mitchell, who lays it back to Cordner, as the referee calls it knocked on.
A good set has an ordinary ending for Tonga. Hingano was cornered, so they shifted it to Jennings who was wrapped up.
The crowd has come to life now! Lolohea has a tough chance from the sideline, strides in, squeezes it inside.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! No knock on there, some quick hands, Kata stepped inside and had a saloon passage to the line!
THEY HAVE THE TRY! but we're going upstairs..
PENALTY TONGA! The rhythm continues, as the song wafts across Mt Smart, Tonga take the tap.
The crowd has burst into song, as Tonga get another penalty. It is some scene here in Auckland currently.
They go the ground game this time! Lolohea kicked through for himself, and Tedesco is wrapped up! Been all Tonga since the Frizzell drop ball.
PENALTY TONGA! Strong charge from Taukeiaho earns the whistle.
A THIRD SET COMING! Gagai came inside, the ball was planted over his head, forcing the Rabbitoh to bat it dead.
Another magnificent leap from Fusitua! He just hung in the air, shunted it back inside, which saw Keary knock it on. Another GLDO incoming..
Sika "soft hands" Manu! The Fus takes the mark, tumbles it back to Manu, the second rower deftly finds the in-goal and Gagai is forced to take it dead. Six more.
Jagged run from the Dragons backrower, too eager to get up and play it, loses it.
Tonga kick it high into the Auckland air, now Australia rucking it away.
Hope everyone caught their breath, after the wild first half! Both teams are back on the turf in Mt Smart! Let's back into it! Australia leading by 20.
Holmes converts the additional goal, however, from in front.
Holmes misses the first attempt from out wide.
Holmes has crossed, the try is awarded. It's a possible eight-point try.
Australia with one last shot ... last tackle ten seconds to halftime... HOLMES! He's over we're up to the Bunker!
Fusitu'a is pushed into touch just past halfway as the Tongans were looking likely. Australia scrum.
Holmes spills a bomb under an intense chase from the Tonga players following-through... then Sutton notes they're offside and awards Australia a penalty.
SST can't convert from out wide. The difference is fourteen.
Tupou scores in the corner! Mt Smart erupts once more!
Sio Siua Taukeiaho steams over the line but can't even get to ground let alone get the ball down. He goes back to play the ball 10m out.
Tonga pick up a handy penalty. A try here could keep things interesting.
Holmes makes it a very difficult task for the Tongans, extending the lead to eighteen.
Are the floodgates opening? Australia expose the Tongan's defence down the Trbojevic-Tupou wing and Tupou draws the last man to send Tommy Turbo over for his second.
He converts his own four-pointer to make it six, and the lead twelve.
After a Tonga error, Australia push to the Tonga line and eventually Holmes finds an inside line and goes over untouched on the left side of the field.
Jason Taumalolo picks up a crucial grubber and Tonga are off the hook.
Quality end-to-end footy from both sides at the moment although it's just been interrupted by an inside-the-ten penalty against - you guessed it - Andrew Fifita. Australia go on the attack. Penalty count is 2-all.
Tonga make mammoth metres off that set but Hingano's last tackle play is a floor-grubber which goes straight into Felise Kaufusi's legs and the Australian second-rower pounces on it and they come away with it.
The 'Roos can't do anything with it and Tonga have a 20m restart.
A huge defensive play, the Australians force an error from Andrew Fifita on the first hit-up after the kickoff. Kangaroos scrum 15m out.
SST is the Tongan goalkicker and his first assignment is an easy one.
TPJ hits a hole inside his man and scores an easy try under the sticks! Mt Smart erupts!
For Australia's dominance, the up-and-in Tonga defence is still asking questions of the Kangaroos, forcing them to throw the ball around more than usual and breaking up their attacking structures. If they can break through they're a chance to make a game of this, Tonga.
Holmes nails it from the near touchline.
Australia push along down the right edge and find a break from 40m out through Tedesco, who finds Tom Trbojevic.
First penalty of the afternoon is to Tonga 35m from their own line. They find touch just inside Australia's half and finally have some ball on the right side of halfway.
Holmes makes no mistake and the Kangaroos have an early lead.
A loose pass from Tonga inside their own half, DCE picks it up and streaks away and avoids the attention of chasing Tongan defenders to score under the sticks.
Australia throw the ball around but can't get across the line. In backplay, Tongan half Ata Hingano is down with an arm or shoulder complaint. Time off.
First error is by Tonga at the start of their second possession, just 20m from their own line. Australia scrum.
We are underway. Australia kick us off, Gerard Sutton blows the whistle, and Tonga have first possession.
The Sipi Tau is complete, everyone at the ground may need treatment for industrial deafness, but wow what a moment!
Anthems complete. Now for the Sipi Tau. This will be something special.
The anthems now take centre stage at a packed out Mt Smart. What an occasion.
The teams walk out onto Mt Smart Stadium together. The noise is utterly deafening.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Gerard Sutton
Touch Judges: Dave Munro, Nick Beashel
Video Referee: Steve Chiddy, Ben Galea
AUSTRALIA (34)
Tries: Daly Cherry-Evans, Valentine Holmes (2), Tom Trbojevic (2), James Tedesco
Field Goals:
Conversions: Valentine Holmes (4/6)
Penalty Goals: Valentine Holmes (1/1)
TONGA (16)
Tries: Tevita Pangai Junior, Daniel Tupou, Solomone Kata
Field Goals:
Conversions: Sio Siua Taukeiaho (1/2), Tuimoala Lolohea (1/1)
Penalty Goals: