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London: England's upcoming tour of South Africa has been billed as an acid test of their ability but for Ashes-winning off-spinner Graeme Swann nothing will ever compare to beating Australia.
Swann, one of the stars of England's 2-1 series win, said: "For an Englishman, Australia home or away is the best challenge there is - you grow up wanting to play in the Ashes.
"They still have the best player in the world in Ricky Ponting, and Michael Clarke wasn't far behind him in the summer."
"You're meant to say you're focusing on the next match but I want to keep performing and doing well, hopefully winning in South Africa, because to be in the team with the chance to retain the Ashes over there (in 2010/11) really whets my appetite."
When England last won the Ashes, in 2005, Michael Vaughan's men were feted with an open-topped bus parade through the streets of London.
But rather than being the launchpad for sustained success, that series became the prelude for a sharp decline in England's fortunes.
There were far fewer celebrations this year, with Andrew Strauss's side having little time to enjoy their Ashes triumph before launching into a series of ODIs.
Swann said: "In 2005 they deservedly got drunk for two days. That is how it should have been. Their results over the next 18 months had nothing to do with that whatsoever. There were injuries and a few diminishing players at the end of their careers."
Swann has more reason than most for wanting to do well against South Africa, now ranked as the world's leading Test side.
For it was in South Africa that his international career almost ended no sooner then it had begun in 1999/2000.
Such was the crisis of confidence sparked by that trip that Swann thought about quitting cricket completely.
Swann made his ODI debut in South Africa. But missing the team bus because of oversleeping did not impress then coach Duncan Fletcher and Swann, now with Nottinghamshire, had to wait more than seven years for another England call.
"When I was playing at Northants at the end I couldn't have been further away from playing for England," said Swann.
"I didn't even want to play cricket - for Northants or Northampton Saints (the town's rugby union team), let alone England.
"I wanted to give up and become a hack (journalist)," he explained.
"There was a lot of time when I couldn't imagine playing for England again."
But since making his Test bow, against India in December, Swann has established himself as England's premier spinner.
Swann, who in 12 Tests has taken 48 wickets at a shade over 30 apiece, returned recently to South Africa for the Champions Trophy, including spending time in the hotel where he once slept-in.
"I woke up and thought I was an hour late but I was four hours early and suffering with jet-lag," he said.
"Since that first tour I started taking two alarm clocks everywhere but got one stolen in the West Indies. I'm back to one so if I'm late it's not my fault," added Swann.
