Tonight Tonga, ranked No185 in the world, meet Australia, ranked 110 places above them. It will be the first time the two nations have met at full international level, a match which also marks the start of the Socceroos' World Cup campaign. One for the scrapbooks, that's for sure. The tournament has probably come too early for us, but results aren't the main thing. I want to start teaching the players how to use the ball.
Soccer is a fairly young sport in Tonga, but it's starting to make inroads on rugby.
Being here is the start of a long-term plan. Obviously there's a lot to do, and we don't have a lot of money. But you can't fault the enthusiasm of the players, and how keen they are to learn. Far from being daunted by the sheer scale of the task, Phillips is excited by it. The Tongan Football Association has chosen wisely, in every sense.