80 mins: Australia try in vain to get a score but they know the game is over and the final hooter sparks scenes of wild celebration for the men in black.

76 mins: Australia 28-38 New Zealand
Just as Australia get some momentum, Kennedy drops the ball in the tackle to give New Zealand respite. Toopi has been a threat all night and shows his strength to power his way over in the corner for his hat-trick try which is given by the video ref. Jones' kick goes over after hitting the post and New Zealand have now surely sealed their first victory in Sydney since 1959.

74 mins: Australia 28-32 New Zealand
The New Zealand defence has looked shaky all game and it does again as two tacklers fall to put down Gasnier who strolls in for the try which gives Australia hope. Johns adds the extras to put his side to within four points.

73 mins: New Zealand give away a penalty to let Australia get close to the line but the Kiwis hold out. This game is not over yet.

70 mins: Australia 22-32 New Zealand
It is now Australia's turn to look ragged and they concede a sloppy penalty as New Zealand come forward. Jones kicks the goal to extend the lead to 10.

68 mins: Australia 22-30 New Zealand
The visitors look to have settled following their collapse in the first half and they take control of the game when scrum-half Nigel Vagana finds space after a quick play the ball to cross. Jones continues to impress with the boot as he lands another kick.

59 mins: Australia 22-24 New Zealand
New Zealand finally get in behind the Australian defence and manage to get their first points on the board since the 18th minute. The Kangaroos are stretched as the ball is kept alive and prop Nathan Cayless bursts over from short range. Jones adds another conversion to put New Zealand ahead again.

55 mins: The second half so far does not have the fireworks of the opening stanza. New Zealand have the majority of the territory but cannot turn it into points.

53 mins: A teasing cross-field kick into the Australian in-goal area causes havoc in the home side's defence. Toopi touches down on a loose ball but the video ref rules that there was a knock-on.

48 mins: Australia 22-18 New Zealand
Australia take the lead for the first time thanks to a dreadful error from young New Zealand wing Manu Vatuvei. The NZ Warriors speedster jumps to collect a high kick but the ball bounces out of his arms and King gratefully accepts the gift to cross. Johns misses with his first conversion.

44 mins: New Zealand second rower Frank Pritchard is placed on report for an ugly up-ending tackle on Panthers team-mate Waterhouse.

41 mins: A shell-shocked New Zealand side get the second half underway and Australia get through their opening six.

40 mins: As the hooter goes for half-time, Australia attack again and are on the brink of scoring but to the relief of the New Zealanders, the ball is knocked on.

39 mins: Australia 18-18 New Zealand
Australia again attack as the gaps appear all over the field. Tate is on hand to comfortably score Australia's fourth try in nine minutes from a basketball-style pass from Johns. Fiztgibbon misses the conversion after New Zealand hooker Lance Hohaia is stretchered off with a serious-looking injury.

37 mins: Australia 14-18 New Zealand
Australia are looking a completely different team to the one that were looking down and out at 18-0. New Zealand's defence is now all over the place and St George Illawarra centre Mark Gasnier just manages to touch down in the corner - a decision confirmed by the video ref. Fitzgibbon misses the tough kick.

34 mins: Australia 10-18 New Zealand
Tate's score has obviously rattled the Kiwis as the restart goes straight out. Australia pile forward and Johns, with his trademark footwork, powers his way over to reduce the deficit still further. Fitzgibbon kicks the goal.

31 mins: Australia 4-18 New Zealand
Australia need something special if they are to save themselves from a shock defeat and Brisbane centre Brent Tate does his best to deliver it. He collects the ball from just outside his own 10 metre line and bursts through the New Zealand defence, fending off despairing tackles, to cross for a superb solo try. Craig Fitzgibbon misses the kick.

26 mins: New Zealand launch a wonderful counter-attack from their own half in a move which contains powerful running and superb offloads. Australia struggle to contain the attack but Kiwi wing Jake Webster is held up, even though it seems the defence was offside.

18 mins: Australia 0-18 New Zealand
Australia's Matt King makes a dreadful error as full-back Brent Webb's kick is spilled. New Zealand take full advantage and Webb glides through the scrambling defence to increase their lead. Jones continues his perfect kicking display with the conversion.

17 mins: Australia are beginning to find their rhythm as well as the gaps in the New Zealand defence. Darren Lockyer's superb inside ball releases the rampaging Kennedy who believes he has crossed. However the decision is referred to the video ref, who turns down the appeal as the ball is lost before the touchdown.

15 mins: Jones is placed under pressure and his cross-field kick does not find his target. Australia somehow manage to keep the ball alive but Penrith forward Trent Waterhouse, playing out of position at centre, knocks on as he crosses the line.

11 mins: Australia 0-12 New Zealand
Australia look ragged as they fail to cope with New Zealand's slick passing. Centre Toopi takes advantage and bursts through some sloppy tackling to touch down for his second try in three minutes. Jones adds the extras.

8 mins: Australia 0-6 New Zealand
New Zealand look threatening as they keep breaking the gain-line. Scrum-half Stacey Jones, who has come out of retirement to play in the opening two matches of the Tri-Nations, throws a superb dummy on the right and then off-loads on the left to give Clinton Toopi an easy try. Jones converts.

5 mins: Australia have the first chance to apply pressure on the try-line after New Zealand concede the opening penalty of the game. However with the whitewash in sight, Ben Kennedy's offload does not find a team-mate.

3 mins: Melbourne's Matt King does some good work to get back in play after a Kiwi kick goes deep into the Australian in-goal area.

2 mins: A grubber kick on the fifth tackle from Johns almost lets in Australia and New Zealand look indecisive in defence.

1 min: Australian star Andrew Johns begins the game and although New Zealand do not make any major inroads, they comfortably complete their opening set of six tackles.

1046: After the music, the haka, and the Australians look on impassively as the New Zealanders lay down their challenge.

1045: The two teams line for the national anthems which is perfectly observed by a less than full stadium.

1041: The cheerleaders entertain the crowd with their routine while the two sides emerge into the bright lights of the stadium.

1036 BST: The Australian team go through their stretching exercises in the indoor warm-up area at the Telstra Stadium. The New Zealand side look far more emotional however as the players exchange pre-game hugs.

Matt King and Luke O'Donnell will make their Australia debuts in the opening match of the Tri-Nations against New Zealand in Sydney.

With King on the wing and Brent Tate in the centres, Matt Cooper misses out.

O'Donnell replaces the injured Nathan Hindmarsh while Bulldogs captain Andrew Ryan is named among the replacements in the 17-man squad.

New Zealand hand first caps to Manu Vatuvei and Jake Webster, with David Faiumu making his debut off the bench

Australia: Minichiello, Tahu, Tate, Gasnier, King, Lockyer, Johns, Civoniceva, Buderus, Price, O'Donnell, Fitzgibbon, Kennedy.
Replacements: Ryles, Ryan, Waterhouse, Gower.

New Zealand: Webb, Webster, Whatuira, Toopi, Vatuvei, Vagana, Jones, Rauhihi, Hohaia, Wiki, Kidwell, Pritchard, Anderson.
Replacements: Faiumu, Asotasi, N. Cayless, Solomona.

Referee: Steve Ganson (England).