The 26,214 crowd prayed for a Tonga comeback – and it almost worked.
But in the end the Kangaroos proved why they are the world champions by overcoming a second half fightback to prevail 34-16 in their historic Test match.
The Mate Ma’a were behind by 20 and had forced the Kangaroos into a fourth straight line dropout when the sellout Mt Smart Stadium crowd broke into hymns.
And their prayers were answered when Solomone Kata crossed, instantly reviving memories of their near upset of England in their World Cup semi-final last year.
However, that was as close as the rising powerhouse got as James Tedesco restored the Kangaroos’ lead in the 64th minute and effectively sealed victory.
It was the contest Tonga players – led by former Kangaroos star Andrew Fifita -had been calling for since falling two points short of a fairytale World Cup final on the same ground last year.
And the fans turned out in their droves, with thousands lining up hours before kick-off to produce a sea of red and create a memorable atmosphere in Auckland.
Unfortunately for the “home” side, their side started slowly.
A David Fusitu’a error in just the third minute was a sign of things to come, and an early shoulder injury to halfback Ata Hingano didn’t help either.
A stray Siliva Havili pass bounced perfectly for Daly Cherry-Evans to race 35 metres and post first points, and his score was quickly followed by the first leg of Tom Trbojevic’s double.
The stunned crowd momentarily roared to life when Tevita Pangai Junior – arguably Tonga’s best – rampaged through a gaping hole in the 16th minute.
But the steady flow of turnovers continued with Fifita’s error from the restart.
Trbojevic grabbed a second and Valentine Holmes crossed twice – the latter resulting in a possible eight-point try after Pangai Junior was reported for dangerous contact.
Pangai Junior struck Holmes in the head with a boot as he scored, but the Cronulla and Queensland star could only land a penalty in front of the posts after he missed an angled conversion.
The bonus kick allowed the Kangaroos to lead 30-10 at half-time.
Holmes’ brace extended his record to 17 tries in just 13 Tests, he joins Michael O’Connor and Wendell Sailor in 12th on the list of the Kangaroos leading try-scorers.