Ireland (40) v Australia (47), Venue: Croke Park, Throw-In: Tonight, 7pm, On TV: TG4:THE INTERNATIONAL Rules series finds itself cautiously back on track, with tonight's second Test in Croke Park expected to attract between 50,000 and 60,000.
At yesterday’s media conference in the stadium both sides defended the quality of last week’s Test and pledged their players to continued strict discipline. And GAA president Christy Cooney announced details of next year’s series in Australia, as well as confirming series in 2013 and 2014 after a gap year in 2012.
Ireland manager Anthony Tohill also confirmed that Benny Coulter is fit to take his place in tonight’s match panel and that Michael Shields is back after last weekend’s Cork football final. Their replacements in Limerick, Niall McNamee and Emmet Bolton respectively, drop back to the standby list.
Most of the questions asked after the first Test concerned Ireland’s lacklustre display. The failure to kick accurately or to move with any penetration made the match fairly uncompetitive until the late comeback, which reduced the deficit to seven – a target that has been seen this week as reachable by the home team.
To an extent, this is the triumph of hope over experience. Only once since the series was revived have Ireland overcome a first-Test defeat to win the series. That was in the first year of the resumption in 1998 and the deficit was just a point.
Australia, however, surmounted an eight-point defeat four years ago before running away with the second Test in a 38-point win, overshadowed by the violence and anarchy that broke out in the match.
Tohill was upbeat when reflecting on last week’s defeat.
“It was not half as bad as I thought when I spoke after the game. I think we played a lot of good football last Saturday night and our biggest failing was that we could not translate our possession and our opportunities into scores on the board. That was really where our biggest downfall was and an area that we have to improve on and an area that we will have to address if we are to have any chance tomorrow night.”
The return of Coulter and Shields is a big plus for Ireland. Coulter is a proven goal-scorer in the international game and, assuming his injury is fully healed, he will pose an enhanced threat up front, the very area where the team need improvement.
Shields has AFL experience, albeit brief, with Carlton, and will supplement a defensive effort that was solid last week with his expansive, running instincts that can give the team more dynamism in the build-up.
Asked about the disadvantage of playing at home and not having his players available until Wednesday, Tohill was philosophical.
“It’s not ideal but it’s just the way it is. The touring side has always done that little bit better, but there have been home series wins as well, albeit not that many. It’s just the way we live.
“Players have to go to work Monday, Tuesday and most of them on Wednesday as well. We probably could have done a bit more between Tests had we had the players there for the entire time; we probably could have prepared that wee bit better. It’s just the situation we’re in.”
At training during the week Australia looked impressive in their continuing adaptation to the round ball. The performance of their forwards in Limerick continued the accelerating AFL superiority in shooting overs, or three-pointers, with captain Adam Goodes excellent with good support from Todd Banfield and Eddie Betts.
Australian coach Mick Malthouse felt the game itself was well balanced. “I think it’s a credit to both organisations when you’ve got the series over 32 games, have been all but within five or six points collectively, then the evening up of both games show that there is not a lot of variation that you need.
“If one side was getting belted – and I mean on the scoreboard – then there needs to be something done and whether it’s Ireland or Australia, but it’s not. The games have been decided by relatively small margins, which suggest to me that the rules are almost right.”
Finally, Travis Varcoe will undergo a fitness test today to determine if he will be available to play. A shoulder injury kept him out of the first Test.
- Next year's Test series will be played October 21st and 28th, with the venues to be finalised in the coming months.
IRELAND PANEL:15 S McDonnell (Armagh, capt), 10 F Hanley (Galway, vice-captain), 1 S Cluxton (Dublin), 2 C Begley (Laois), 3 B Brogan (Dublin), 4 G Canty (Cork), 5 S Cavanagh (Tyrone), 6 M Clarke (Down), 21 B Coulter (Down), 7 B Donaghy (Armagh), 8 L Glynn (Wicklow), 9 D Goulding (Cork), 11 J Kavanagh (Kildare), 12 P Keenan (Louth), 13 T Kennelly (Kerry and Sydney Swans), 14 S McDermott (Roscommon), 16 C McKeever (Armagh), 17 K McKernan (Down), 18 B Murphy (Carlow), 19 M Murphy (Donegal), 20 K Reilly (Meath), 26 M Shields (Cork), 22 T Walsh (Kerry and St Kilda),
AUSTRALIA:37 A Goodes (Sydney Swans, capt), 5 M Boyd (Western Bulldogs, vice-capt), 6 K Simpson (Carlton, vice-capt), 36 D Swan (Collingwood, vice-capt), 31 D Fletcher (Essendon), 1 T Varcoe (Geelong Cats), 2 B Gibbs (Carlton), 3 J McVeigh (Sydney Swans), 4 D Cross (Western Bulldogs), 7 J Frawley (Melbourne), 8 J Riewoldt (Richmond), 9 G Ibbotson (Fremantle), 11 L Montagna (St Kilda), 12 T Goldsack (Collingwood), 14 S Gilbert (St Kilda), 15 K Jack (Sydney Swans), 17 T Banfield (Brisbane Lions), 18 B Green (Melbourne), 19 E Betts (Carlton), 32 P Dangerfield (Adelaide Crows), 40 D Wojcinski (Geelong Cats), 41 P Duffield (Fremantle), 42 L Picken (Western Bulldogs)
Officials: Pat McEnaney (GAA) and Brett Rosebury (AFL).
Rules of Rules:
Five to know . . .
- If Ireland win by seven points (and therefore square the series), they will retain the title due to being reigning champions.
- Today's match at Croke Park will be divided into quarters, each 18 minutes in duration.
- Each team consists of 15 players on the field at any time.
- A Goal is worth six points; an Over three; and a Behind (between the outside posts) one.
- A Mark is awarded if a player catches the ball (which has travelled at least 15 metres) directly from another player's kick.
