Walsh Vomits, Ponga Battles Broken Arm in World Cup Opener — SkimNews
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- Australia beat New Zealand 24-22 in the World Cup opener in Sydney, with Jack Bostock scoring a hat-trick including the match-winning try in the final minutes
- Reece Walsh vomited and cramped during the match — coach Kevin Walters revealed Walsh's nickname is 'Chucker' because he throws up, adding the full-back was playing his first game in eight weeks after recovering from an ankle injury
- Walsh delivered a try-saving tackle on Ponga in the first half then scored a 60-metre try that set up Australia's comeback, with captain Isaah Yeo calling it a 'massive effort' after eight weeks out
- Kalyn Ponga scored two tries for New Zealand but played on for roughly 20 minutes with a suspected broken arm before being unable to catch the ball and forced off the field
- New Zealand coach Stacey Jones said Ponga will undergo scans to determine if he can continue in the tournament, calling it a 'possible fracture' sustained in a tackle with Cameron Munster
- Isaah Yeo captained Australia after delaying surgery on an injured pectoral muscle to play in the tournament, while Mitchell Moses tried to run off a calf issue before being subbed after halftime
Why it matters: Ponga's suspected fracture puts his World Cup participation in doubt, a major blow to New Zealand's hopes of winning the tournament for the first time in 18 years, with scans set to determine whether their star full-back can continue after gutting out 20 minutes on a broken arm.
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