Sydney: Australia are threatening to walk off the pitch in next month’s World Cup play-off in Uruguay if there is a repeat of the crowd trouble that marred their previous visit four years ago.

Australian players hired armed security guards to protect them after they were jostled and spat at on their last trip to South America which resulted in a 0-3 defeat.

Australia play Uruguay in Montevideo on November 12 in the first leg of their play-off to book a berth in Germany. The return match will be held in Sydney four days later.

Football Federation Australia chief executive John ’Neill said the players would be better prepared this time but would not hesitate to walk off if there was any crowd trouble. “I’ve seen it before, that a team can always come off the field,” he said on Tuesday.

“I was at the Rugby World Cup final in 1999 when the French resorted to eye gouging and (Australian captain) John Eales told the referee that if this continues I’m taking my team off the field.

“If you've got a high quality referee, good line judges and the match is conducted according to the rules of Fifa, you shouldn’t get down to that. Equally, we will not be shrinking violets.” (Reuters)