Mother Teresa and Saint George helping Hugo fend off fatigue

His Sydney Roosters - and England - teammate Victor Radley told a radio interviewer after the NRL grand final: “I’m knackered - I don’t know if I’ve got another game in me”. 

That was more a reference to the elixir-like qualities of being rested at the end of the regular season than the World Cup but fellow premiership-winner Hugo Savala admits: “Well, I guess, yeah, we were buggered - but I definitely have more games in me. I really wanted to represent England and do my family proud, and (Saturday) was a special day for me, even though we lost.

“A special day for me and my family and everyone was really proud to watch me. And there were so many people back home: family, friends, cousins that I grew up with and, you know, they woke up and the game was 10am over their time and I hope they enjoyed the game.

“It’s a dream come true for me, playing for England. I always looked up to a lot of English players. I’m really proud.”

For Savala all it’s all about mother Teresa - not the modern-day saint but his Oxford-born mum - and Torquay-born (but Scotland-raised) dad, Scott.

Teresa, Scott, their friends and family would certainly have enjoyed the Randwick-born 24-year-old setting up a 45th-minute try for AJ Brimson at Perth’s HBF Park that lifted his side back into the contest with Tonga - and his dead-eye two-from-two conversions.

The eventual 30-12 result, which left the men in white in danger of missing the World Cup semis for the first time ever? Not so much.

This Saturday against France and the following Friday against Papua New Guinea, it’s a case of winning and hoping other results go their way.

Do players look closely at such equations? 

“Yeah, I guess you do give it a little bit of thought but you don't give it too much thought - if that makes sense,” Savala said.

“We're going into these next two games humming and with a bit of fire in our belly to really go after those two teams and try to put a big performance on.

“And, you know, the rest will take care of itself.”

But the experience off the field - and on the training field - has convinced Savala that he’s a long-term England player if Brian McDermott and any successive coaches want him - whatever happens.

“Ah, it's unreal,” he enthuses.

“I love, love the Poms. I love the English and, you know, they're all good guys and they're good fun. They have good chat and that's what it's all about.

"Both my parents are English and my dad's Scottish and you know, I'm sort of used to all that sort of chatting, all those slang jokes and all that stuff. So, yeah, I really get around it.

“It was a different feel for me. When I play for the Roosters... you play for your area. I guess this was even bigger, getting to play for a country, for England, for your heritage. 

“It means a lot when your mum and dad are born in England... there’s a lot of meaning in it. I didn’t want to play for England just for the sake of it. There’s a lot of meaning behind the decision.

“I love the boys and what the culture’s about here. I’m really grateful for Brian giving me the opportunity to put the jersey on.

“He showed a lot of belief in me and I hope I took it with two hands and I can’t wait to move it forward and in future being part of this squad.”

But first it’s getting through the next two games and hoping those footy gods we talk about all the time smile on the country that invented rugby league.

Maybe Savala could have a word to the other Mother Teresa.