The defending World Champions Australia had a relatively straight-forward opening fixture against 100/1 outsiders Fiji and despite some surprise selections in their squad they were still massive favourites to win the game, and to go on and retain the trophy at Old Trafford in a month´s time.

There were seven international debutants in Mal Meninga´s seventeen-man side but with squad numbers allocated to players based on appearances for their country rather than traditional positions it was sure to lead to some confusion for supporters and commentators.

Fiji had been given a forty point start on the coupon but their track record in the one game played this afternoon was in tatters after they had made Samoa slight favourites to beat England. The World was ready to see what sort of side Meninga had assembled for the assault on this year’s World Cup.

It was the most sensational of starts as Fiji took the lead with just four minutes on the clock. Semi Valemei chased down a delightful grubber kick to the corner to ground first under the dive of a couple of Australian defenders. Brandon Wakeham was unable to add the conversion from the touchline but astonishingly Fiji had a 4-0 lead.

The early Fiji onslaught soon waned and after conceding two quick penalties skipper James Tedesco looked like he´d gone over in the right corner, but the defence managed to hold him from grounding.

Just when it looked like the kangaroos were certain to score, a wayward pass was intercepted but Fiji then knocked on as they tried to bring the ball away from their own line. Australia were being uncharacteristically clumsy with the ball in hand, but it felt inevitable that they would click sooner or later.

As the clock ticked past a quarter of an hour, Daly Cherry-Evans passed to an unmarked Jeremiah Nanai who skipped through a broken Fiji defence to score by the right upright. Valentine Holmes added the goal to put Australia into a 6-4 lead.

It was last ditch defence from Fiji as they defended their line against a relentless Australian onslaught. On twenty-two Nanai went over again, this time under the sticks, but referee Kendall and the video official agreed that he´d grounded short of the line.

On twenty-three Josh Addo-Carr took a pass in space on his own try line and went the length of the field to score under the sticks, leaving the chasers in his wake. Holmes put his conversion between the sticks for a 12-4 advantage.

Fiji had a gilt-edged opportunity just after the half-hour but chasing down the grubber they were unable to get fingertips on it to ground. Australia certainly weren´t having it all their own way.

On thirty-five Angus Crichton stretched for the line to ground after taking a short pass and Holmes added the extras in the rain for 18-4 at the interval.

Four minutes after the restart Latrell Mitchell took a Cameron Munster pass after a flowing break from the halfway line to go twenty metres for a trademark Australia try. Holmes added the conversion for 24-4, four from four on the night.

While it was clear that Australia were going to win the game, Fiji were making things difficult.

A brilliant Harry Grant 40-20 saw the Kangaroos on the offensive again and two tackles from the scrum it was Grant himself who stepped through the defensive line to go over for the four-pointer. Holmes again added the extras to bring up the thirty.

A nasty clash of heads between Reuben Cotter and Tui Kamikamica on the kick-off return saw both players leaving the field for head impact assessments on fifty-five.

An hour into the encounter James Tedesco joined the try scorers as he threw the dummy before going in from ten metres out to slide over the line and ground the ball despite being on his back. Holmes was relentlessly on target again.

Addo-Carr got his second on sixty-seven as he collected a Grant grubber kick into goal to collect and ground. Holmes kicked a seventh goal, in off the post, to maintain his one-hundred-percent record with the boot.

Inside the last five minutes Fiji picked up a late consolation, and the last points ofthe game, when Sunia Turuva dribbled the ball over the line and dived on it to ground. Wakeham was again unable to hit the target with his conversion attempt, Australia unable to add any more points as they ran out as 42-8 winners.

Fiji put in plenty of effort, and showed moments of skill and inspiration, but were never going to be able to beat the defending World champions as they began their campaign defence. The Aussies looked a little rusty and disjointed but they do have several of their stars to return later in the competition. Fiji will have better days than this in the competition but after comprehensive big losses to England now Australia suggests that they might struggle to make the semi-finals this time around. It was just the start that Meninga was looking for.

Australia: Tedesco (T), Addo-Carr (2T), Mitchell (T), Holmes (7G), Taulagi, Munster, Cherry-Evans, Fa´asuamaleaui, Hunt, Trbojevic, Crichton (T), Nanai (T), Murray. Subs: Grant (T), Cotter, Carrigan, Wighton.

Fiji: Turuva (T), Vulikijapani, Naiqama, Valemei (T), Sivo, Moceidreke, Wakeham, Vuniyayawa, Koroisau, Kamikamica, Kikau, Wong, Manuel-Liolevave. Subs: Tagituimua, Drodrolagi, Nakubuwai, Sadrugu.

Half-Time: 18-4.

Full-Time: 42-8.

Score Progression: 0-4, 4-4, 6-4, 10-4, 12-4, 16-4, 18-4 : HT : 22-4, 24-4, 28-4, 30-4, 34-4, 36-4, 40-4, 42-4, 42-8: FT .

Lead Exchanges: Fiji – Square – Australia.

Referee: Chris Kendall.

Attendance: 13,362  at Emerald Headingley Stadium, Leeds.