Australia and New Zealand will meet in the World Cup final after emphatic semifinal victories ended Samoa and Tonga's campaigns.
Reece Walsh scored a hat trick as the Kangaroos defeated Samoa 44-12 in Sydney, while Kalyn Ponga's return helped the Kiwis overcome Tonga 34-10 in Newcastle.
The results set up a rematch of the tournament opener, with both sides arriving at the decider with considerably more momentum.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the men's semifinals.
Walsh delivers when the stakes rise
The debate over Australia's fullback position has followed Kevin Walters throughout the tournament. Reece Walsh provided his strongest response yet against Samoa.
His hat trick helped the Kangaroos turn a potentially difficult semifinal into a commanding victory, vindicating Walters' decision to retain him ahead of James Tedesco.
Just as encouraging was his response to an error.
After spilling a bomb early in the second half and allowing Stephen Crichton to score, Walsh crossed himself only minutes later. He then completed his hat trick by finishing a sweeping movement involving Tom Trbojevic, Tom Dearden and Cameron Munster.
That ability to remain involved after a mistake matters as much as the spectacular moments. New Zealand will test him with its kicking game, and Australia cannot afford its most dangerous attacking player to retreat from the contest if something goes wrong.
Walsh kept demanding the ball against Samoa. With the halves creating opportunities around him, his acceleration and support play gave Australia a threat that remained difficult to contain throughout the night.
Ponga's return gives New Zealand another dimension
Kalyn Ponga returned 23 days after breaking his arm and immediately reminded everyone what New Zealand had been missing.
The fullback produced three try assists in the Kiwis' victory over Tonga, setting up Briton Nikora's opening try inside the first three minutes.
But his contribution extended well beyond the attack.
With Demitric Vaimauga breaking into the clear during the first half, Ponga made a crucial one-on-one tackle to stop the much larger forward short of the line. It was a significant intervention in a contest that remained tightly balanced before halftime.
Keano Kini had performed strongly in his absence, but Ponga's return provides Stacey Jones with an experienced attacking organiser capable of creating opportunities on either side of the field.
For Australia, the challenge now includes limiting the space available to both Ponga and Jahrome Hughes. Allowing either to operate behind a dominant forward pack risks giving New Zealand too many ways to attack.
Ponga's comeback has made an already formidable opponent more dangerous.
Hughes and the Kiwis show how to take control
The 34-10 scoreline disguises how competitive Tonga were for much of the first half.
Jojo Fifita's double put them ahead 10-6 before Dane Gagai's late try sent New Zealand into the break with a two-point advantage.
The second half belonged to the Kiwis.
With a powerful wind behind them, New Zealand repeatedly forced Tonga to work out of difficult field position. Hughes' kicking helped maintain that pressure, while Tonga struggled to find distance on the last tackle.
Casey McLean extended the lead before Hughes crossed himself, turning a tight match into a commanding advantage. Tonga did not score after halftime.
The conditions were a substantial factor, but New Zealand still had to exploit them. Their patience and execution ensured the territorial advantage translated into points.
That control will be essential against Australia. The Kiwis have enough individual quality to create tries, but their best route to the trophy is to give those players repeated opportunities rather than rely on isolated moments.
Samoa's frustration compounds a difficult night
Samoa will leave Sydney frustrated by several decisions, particularly the first-half ruling that denied Stephen Crichton a try after an aerial contest.
The Bunker ruled Francis Manuleleua had knocked on, and Australia scored through Walsh shortly afterwards. A second Samoa try was also disallowed later in the match.
Those moments deserve scrutiny, but Samoa's own errors and discipline also made an already demanding assignment significantly harder.
Australia repeatedly received opportunities to build pressure, while Spencer Leniu's sin-binning for dissent added to Samoa's problems before halftime. The Kangaroos went to the break ahead 26-2.
Leniu, so influential earlier in the tournament, also lost possession with his first carry and again after returning from the sin bin. Samoa struggled to establish the sustained pressure needed to bring their attacking strengths into the contest.
Their talent remains undeniable. The next step is maintaining enough composure and possession to make that talent count against the strongest opponents.
Australia gave them a harsh demonstration of how quickly a sequence of small setbacks can become a decisive deficit.
Australia's combinations are coming together at the right time
After several changes through the pool stage, Australia's attack looked more settled in its first knockout match.
Dearden opened the scoring with a dummy and run from a scrum, while Munster helped create Jacob Preston's try. The Kangaroos continued finding different avenues to the line, finishing with eight tries from six scorers.
Harry Grant and Munster supplied control, Walsh provided the speed, and Australia's forwards gave them a stronger platform than they had enjoyed during some of their earlier outings.
Pat Carrigan and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui made important contributions through the middle, offering encouragement after the scrutiny directed at the pack during the pool stage.
The final will provide a more demanding examination. New Zealand's forwards troubled Australia in their opening meeting, and winning that battle will be central to whether the Kangaroos can reproduce Sunday's attacking fluency.
Australia won the opener 24-22. With Ponga back and both teams coming off convincing semi-final performances, the rematch offers every prospect of another closely fought contest.
The title will be decided at Suncorp Stadium on November 15.