The PNG Orchids ran into a rampant Jillaroos in Port Moresby on Saturday with the visitors running out 42-4 winners in the local side's international debut, but the Australian women didn't have it all their own way.
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Brad Donald's team was far from perfect in sweltering conditions, but this should still prove a decent tune-up for their forthcoming World Cup campaign.
They were clinical in the first half, and dominated in the middle of the field all game against a plucky Orchids outfit that didn't even exist three months ago.
Indeed, the largest cheer of the match came in the 66th minute when hulking prop Maima Wei forced her way over from close range, earning instant cult-hero status as the country's first female try-scorer in an international. Incredibly, Elvinah Aaron's conversion from dead in front missed to the right.
That outlined just how much of a mismatch this fixture was with the world's No.1 women's rugby league team pitted against an Orchids side who have barely even trained with each other.
Half of their team are unemployed, and travelled to Port Moresby from PNG's far-flung reaches to play in this game.
Yet Wei's try ensured PNG at least took something from the match, which was played in four 20-minute blocks to combat the heat and humidity. The Orchids won the final quarter of the game.
"All of our playing group and our staff are honoured to be part of this historic event, and to bring our girls here," Donald said.
"One of the purposes of the team and the vision of the team is to make sure that we grow the women's game globally. You've only got to look at the effort of the PNG girls today, they were relentless, they kept showing up."
The Orchids' next major assignment will be contesting the Rugby League World Cup. A midweek function in Port Moresby raised significant funds to underpin their World Cup journey.
And while clearly they will need to improve to entertain thoughts of a first international win, there were definitely signs of potential in this fledgling side.
"We always know that they were going to come out with passion, and it was quite a physical game," Jillaroos co-captain Renae Kunst said.
"We'll have a few sore girls tomorrow. Credit to these girls, it's the first time they'd played together and they continually turned up for each other.
"They play with pride, they play with passion and we can't wait to host them at our World Cup later on in the year."
The first play of the game was a surging hit-up from the kick-off by charging crowd favourite Wei, to the sheer delight of the vocal locals.
But the gulf in class was soon apparent as Corban McGregor scored out wide with just seven minutes on the clock.
Moments earlier winger Jessica Sergis had touched down on the same blade of grass before the touch judge deemed the pass she had received from McGregor had gone forward.
Sergis battled heat exhaustion throughout the first half but resumed her place on the wing after the main break and was rewarded by scoring the Jillaroos' last try.
Co-captains Steph Hancock and Kunst scored three tries between them in the opening half, exerting their superiority in the battle of the forwards.
Kunst battled through the PNG defence and a goal post to force the ball, before Hancock found herself in acres of space strolling through a yawning gap close to the line.
The Jillaroos' superior fitness started to tell as the game went on. Kody House finished a back line move smartly in the right corner before Hancock crashed over from close range for her second.
Talesha Quinn's dummy-half finish from close range closed out a 30-0 opening half.
Earlier on, Papua New Guinea's under-16s downed the NSW Young Achievers 28-10 in a brutal clash.
The next generation of PNG stars wooed the crowd as they filed in, scoring several brilliant tries and dishing out their brand of bruising defence at every possible opportunity.
"They hit so hard, real tough football, we don't get anything like that out in NSW," Young Achievers captain Benji Glasheen said.
"One of the coaches was saying it's like running into a brick wall. You either go through the door or you run through the bricks, you've got to make a decision.
"It's a huge atmosphere, every shot the crowd goes wild and they really get behind everyone, they just pump us all up.
"It's something different, you know, us Australian boys have never experienced anything like that."
A handful of NSW youngsters have stayed in Papua New Guinea to hike the Kokoda Trail.
