Both the New Zealand and South African teams had toured Europe in 1905 and 1906 respectively, both achieving unexpected but deserved success against club and international opposition.

[3] Tour manager, who performed the role of coach was New South Wales state selector James McMahon, a veteran of the early NSWRU representative fixtures of 1889 and 1894 against New Zealand.

[4] Moran writes in Viewless Winds that when the touring squad first arrived at Plymouth a pack of journalists were there who were anxious to give the team some distinctive name.

[5] Moran also describes as "an affliction" the war-cry which the parent Union in Australia had suggested the team should use for its "box-office value".

Moran wrote: The memory of that war cry provokes anger in me even after all these years ... We were expected to leap up in the air and make foolish gestures which somebody thought Australian natives might have used in similar circumstances and we were give meaningless words which we were to utter savagely during the pantomime ...

[8] The Sydney forward Cecil Murnin became ill on the voyage and left the tour in Naples to return to Australia.

[5] The fourth tour match saw the Wallabies pitted against the best players from Cardiff and Swansea playing as Glamorgan County.

The match was played on an area alongside the Olympic Games swimming pool which measured 110 yards in length with a long line of netting stretched beside to catch flying balls.

Yesterday the champion England county was practically at full strength, but from start to finish they were outplayed.

They scored eight tries and so good was the play leading up to each of them that it would be hard to say which was the best.The tour took in 31 games in the British Isles, with the Australians winning 25, losing five and drawing one.

[16] Complete list of matches played by Australia at British Isles and North America: Test matches Wales: Bert Winfield, Johnnie Williams, Jack Jones, Billy Trew (captain), Phil Hopkins, Dick Jones, Dicky Owen, James Watts, George Travers, George Hayward, Jim Webb, Phil Waller, Tom Evans, Ivor Morgan, David John Thomas Australia: Phil Carmichael, Charles Russell, John Hickey, Edward Mandible, Daniel Carroll, Ward Prentice, Christopher McKivatt, Thomas Griffen, Robert Craig, Jumbo Barnett, Peter Burge, Charles Hammand, Patrick McCue, Tom Richards, Herbert Moran (captain)

Those that attended were repaid with an exciting and close encounter, with two tries from both sides and Wales winning by just a single penalty goal.

England: George Lyon (captain), Edgar Mobbs, Frank Tarr, Eric Assinder, Barrie Bennetts, Alec Ashcroft, Rupert Williamson, JG Cooper, Robert Dibble, Alf Kewney, Sid Penny, Alfred Warrington-Morris, FP Knight, Percy Down, William Oldham Australia: Phil Carmichael, Charles Russell, John Hickey, Ward Prentice, William Dix, Arthur McCabe, Christopher McKivatt (captain), Ken Gavin, Norm Row, Jumbo Barnett, Patrick McCue, Charles Hammand, Malcolm McArthur, Tom Richards, Sydney Middleton

[24] Although the Australian team won by three tries to one, sections of the British press reported that the tourists were fortunate to win.

[7] Moran had suffered an Achilles-tendon injury[3] in a prior match and missed the England encounter, so the captaincy was given to McKivat.