Ten tries and no penalty kicks – the opening match of the new National Rugby Championship on Thursday night was just what ARU officials had hoped for.

Brisbane City kicked off the Australian provincial tournament with an emphatic 45-20 win over the Sydney Stars at a wet Ballymore.

Despite missing Will Genia, Quade Cooper and Liam Gill, Brisbane dominated the second half as promising centre Samu Kerevi crossed for two tries and 21-year-old Queensland Reds halfback Nick Frisby controlled the game.

Canberra Times

The trial point system, with penalty and field goals reduced to two points in comparison to a three-point conversion, was implemented to encourage attacking play and minimise stoppages.

It proved to do just that, with six tries scored in the opening half and penalty goals all but forgotten in place of booming kicks for touch.

“We didn’t have the combinations in the first half. But … in the second, the passes started to stick and the combinations started to gel,” Brisbane City captain Dave McDuling said.

Although the Stars led at halftime, they were weighed down by dropped balls and goalkicker Stuart Dunbar’s four failed attempts at conversion.

“Our ball exchange was lost a bit in the wet, but we showed we can play when we get the ball in hand,” Stars captain Patrick McCutcheon said.

“I think our kicker owes me a few frothies there.”