World Footy News

INTERNATIONAL RULES

First Test: Australia 47 (0-14-5) d. Ireland 40 (1-8-10) at Gaelic Grounds Limerick, Saturday 23rd October

Ireland 0.2.3 (9) 0.3.7 (16) 0.5.7 (22) 1.8.10 (40)
Australia 0.4.0 (12) 0.7.0 (21) 0.10.2 (32) 0.14.5 (47)

Crowd: 30,117

Mick Malthouse, coach of the Australian International Rules team knew that the long arms of Essendon full back Dustin Fletcher would make the difference when it came to defending the goal net against a six pointer. The ageless footballer known at Essendon as Mr Gadget and now well into his 30s only let one 'under' goal through after a brilliant running move by Bernard Brogan in the last quarter.

Fletcher challenged the GAA team's scoring capacity in the first Test at Limerick, Australia winning 47 to 40, while other myths remain unchallenged. Another key aspect was Ireland's inability to clear the ball from defence, with Mick Malthouse's side applying a full defensive press, the modern day flood now popular with several AFL clubs. As a result, many Australian scores were quickly followed by more.

The Australians, with less stars than in the past but with more players with the skills and the speed for the International Rules game, had taken a 47- 29 lead after a dominant third quarter.

As the Irish Times reported the star of the match, exciting many of the 30,117 spectators, was the multi-skilled Australian captain, Adam Goodes, who kicked four overs for 12 points. He led a team which played with confidence:

Australia ran the ball with conviction and took a series of attacking marks throughout the match..... Australia had many eye-catching performers. Dane Swan got on a great deal of ball and Todd Banfield, Eddie Betts and especially Leigh Montagna showed penetrating accuracy in their shooting.... Ireland’s defence put up a fair rearguard action with Dublin goalkeeper Stephen Cluxton doing well to direct operations from the back and farther afield Laois’s Colm Begley showing well.

One minor myth to fall was that the professionals would finish full of running which the Irish rebound refuted.

Those in Australia who believe that the superior Australians (and we are not immune from the Aussie superiority in sport complex displayed by the cricketers a few years ago and over the Commonwealth Games team - we beat Vanuatu again!) and with this comes the assumption that the professional AFL players will always be superior to the amateur toilers in the Gaelic game.

In fact, although this has been happening a little in recent years, for most of the nearly thirty year history of the GAA - Australia game it has been the travelling team which wins. Greater bonding, greater dedication and more teamwork have been the story. Now that the Irish have three players (Tadhg Kennelly, Colm Begley and Marty Clarke) with experience in the AFL this may tighten the contests in the hybrid game.

The other major myth that persists is that it is all about biffo (Australia's Channel 7 even ran that line in its advertising despite assurances the games would be clean). In fact this too is simply false. Ever since Harry Beitzel took the Galahs to Ireland in 1967 there have been only two occasions when it seemed that Australian straight out aggression (sometimes encouraged by Irish niggling but also by the fact you could not be suspended !) threatened the game. Once was in 1986 under the West Australian coach John Todd. The second occasion was after the Chris Johnson whirlwind fisticuffs at Docklands in 2006.

The final myth to fall was that such a game is not exciting. It produced a high level of football skill, even if for the Australians with an unfamiliar ball on an unfamiliar shaped ground.

As often, International Rules will suggest new tactics and rules to bring out the best in the game. One is the restriction to a maximum of four handpasses in a row before the ball is kicked, a rule which will simultaneously please and displease Geelong supporters who are now contemplating change.

While the Australian victory at Limerick will give it an aggregate advantage in a two Test series, the stage has been set for an exciting finale at the historic cauldron of Gaelic football, Croke Park, in Dublin next weekend.