In the lead-in to Friday night, a few were hinting that devout Mormon Krisnan Inu would need more than a few prayers to get through his first test unscathed.
Australian coach Ricky Stuart had promised a torrid time for the Inut Mormon, who was selected for the Kiwis
after only one NRL appearance for Parramatta and illustrate to him why internationals are called tests.
Instead, Inu passed this test with honours. The 20-year-old gave the impression he was playing a pick-up game with his mates on a Sunday afternoon down at the local park, rather than taking on the world champions in front of 35,000 fans at one of the most intimidating rugby league grounds in the world.
There are some who make sport look easy, no matter what the game. They glide when others fight to get themselves into position, they do things effortlessly when others look strained and they possess an inner confidence, even in the most trying of circumstances.
Inu appears to be one of them.
Although he might not have provided quite the potency on attack that Brent Webb brings to the side, especially Webb's ability to pop up on the shoulder of a ball carrier, Inu is a project well worth persevering with.
Apart from one kick out on the full, he didn't put a foot wrong.
"What potential this young man has," Kiwis coach Brian McClennan said with quiet admiration. "That bomb he took of Darren Lockyer's - that was an exceptional take. I was very pleased for him."
"That bomb" was a colossal kick that would have had Brisbane air traffic control concerned, but Inu took it as calmly as he seems to do everything in life.
"I knew they were going to put pressure on me," he said. "I had something to prove to not only them (Australia) but everyone in the crowd.
"As soon as that bomb went up I thought, 'here is my test'.
"I thought, 'you've been practising all week for it and here it is'. It was a big confidence boost not only for me but the team."
He looked like someone playing his 21st test, rather than his first.
