A late comeback by the New Zealand rugby league team wasn't enough in a tight Anzac Test battle with Australia at Melbourne's new AAMI Park.
The Kangaroos escaped with a 12-8 victory over the Kiwis, with both sides scoring two tries apiece in the rainy conditions.
The visitors fought back from 12-0 down, scoring both tries in the final 12 minutes to set up a thrilling finale.
Disappointment was the overriding feeling in the New Zealand camp after the close loss, despite the history of these contests in recent years being heavily lopsided in favour of Australia, such as the 10-38 defeat in Brisbane last year.
Also on Friday night the Country side scored a 36-18 come-from-behind victory over the City side at Port McQuarie.
