** Australia (6) 20**
Tries: Morris, Thurston, Smith Goals: Thurston (4)
New Zealand (6) 20
Tries: Nuuausala, Sa’u, Hohaia, Pritchard Goals: Goodwin (2)
**Cameron Smith’s last-minute try rescued a draw for Australia in their Four Nations opener against New Zealand.**The sides were level at the break after tries from Frank-Paul Nuuausala and Brett Morris, with Bryson Goodwin and Jonathan Thurston converting.
Thurston then crossed himself and sent over a penalty before tries from Junior Sa’u, Lance Hohaia and Frank Pritchard looked to have won it for the Kiwis.
But Smith’s late try and Thurston’s conversion saw Australia draw level.
It was a dramatic finish to a fine match that did not deserve to have a loser.
New Zealand took an early lead at the Twickenham Stoop as Nuuausala cut through two tackles to score under the posts, with Goodwin converting.
But just before the half hour the two sides were level, debutant Morris going over in the corner following Greg Inglis’s break with Thurston sending over the extras.
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Paul Gallen’s late tackle on New Zealand’s Issac Luke sparked a mass brawl just before half-time.
Tempers had cooled by the time the teams came out for the second half, and it was Australia who got themselves ahead.
Thurston stole the ball from Hohaia in contact and went over unopposed under the posts. The North Queensland player sent over the conversion and a later penalty but New Zealand responded through Sa’u.
Sa’u powered through the Australian defence, holding off three tacklers to bundle over, but Goodwin’s conversion hit the post.
Hohaia was next to cross for the world champions, dummying inside the Australian defence to cross, before Goodwin’s kick and Pritchard’s try in the corner made it 20-14.
But with time running out, Smith powered over to score a late try which Thurston converted as the points were shared.
Australia: B Slater (Melbourne); B Morris (St George Illawarra), G Inglis (Melbourne), J Hodges (Brisbane), J Hayne (Parramatta); D Lockyer (Brisbane, capt), J Thurston (North Queensland); B Hannant (Canterbury), C Smith (Melbourne), P Civoniceva (Penrith), A Watmough (Manly), T Waterhouse (Penrith), R Hoffman (Melbourne).
Replacements: B White (Melbourne), S Thaiday (Brisbane), P Gallen (Cronulla), K Gidley (Newcastle).
New Zealand: L Hohaia (NZ Warriors); S Perrett (Sydney Roosters), S Matai (Manly), J Sa’u (Newcastle), B Goodwin (Canterbury Bulldogs); B Marshall (Wests Tigers, capt), N Fien (St George Illawarra); J Lima (Melbourne), I Luke (South Sydney), F Moimoi (Parramatta), B Harrison (Canberra), F Pritchard (Penrith), A Blair (Melbourne).
Replacements: T Leuluai (Wigan), F-P Nuuausala (Sydney Roosters), I Soliola (Sydney Roosters), J Waerea-Hargreaves (Manly).