Tony Gustavsson, Australia’s manager, praised the performance of his players in their 4-1 win over South Africa and credited coming to Europe with giving them more time to prepare for international friendlies before their home World Cup next summer.
Australia and South Africa meeting at Kingsmeadow in the suburbs of south-west London may seem strange, but of the 22 Australians in Gustavsson’s squad only two ply their trade on home soil.