Australians don't want to rough it up

INTERNATIONAL RULES:ANYONE HALF-hoping the Australians might yet revert to some confrontational or overly physical tactics in Saturday's opening International Rules Test will most likely to be disappointed. It seems they're not even contemplating it, or indeed entertaining questions on the prospect of any so-called "rough" play.

“To be honest, we’re a bit tired of that question,” said the Australian team spokesman Patrick Keane, speaking ahead of this evening’s practice game in Cork against a UCC/CIT selection.

“We get asked it every time now. But I think the way we played in 2008 clearly showed our answer to that, under Michael Malthouse, and the way he coaches and operates. It wasn’t an issue at all in 2008, and again the side we’ve picked here has an emphasis on youth, and pace, rather than, say, the physical side of the game.”

Indeed Malthouse has already stated his intentions to play firmly by the rules. The 57-year-old coach demonstrated this attitude in the 2008 series, where the Australians never once threatened to engage in the sort of aggressive tactics that effectively destroyed the 2006 series.

“We know we have an obligation to make sure the game is played in a spirit that ensures this competition goes beyond this year,” Malthouse said, “which is my wish, totally, that anything won is going to be fair and square.”

According to Keane, the Australian team haven’t even discussed the implications of not playing by the rules, because as far as they’re concerned the issue won’t arise: “Michael has very clear views on how he expects guys to play,” said Keane.

Ireland coach Anthony Tohill has made a few adjustments to his panel ahead of Saturday’s opening Test at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. As expected, Cork’s Michael Shields has put club before country, and although named on the original 22-man panel, has opted instead to play with St Finbarr’s in the Sunday’s county football final, where they take on Nemo Rangers. Shields is likely to return for the second Test, but in the meantime is replaced by Kildare’s Emmet Bolton, who was originally on standby.

Offaly’s Niall McNamee is also called in to increase the panel to 23 (the Australians also increased their panel to 23 with the addition of defender Liam Picken) although Benny Coulter, who has been nursing a hamstring injury, remains on standby, and almost certain to miss the first Test.

Both Leighton Glynn and Brendan Murphy are set to play as selected, despite their club clashes: Glynn will be part of the Rathnew team that takes on Skryne in the Leinster Club championship on Sunday, while Murphy’s Rathvilly are preparing to play Old Leighlin again in the Carlow football final replay which has also been scheduled for Sunday at 3.45.

Down’s Kevin McKernan will find himself in the same position next weekend as his Burren club are due out in the Ulster Club football championship, less than 24 hours after the second Test at Croke Park, although the Ulster Council appear agreeable to postponing that championship game.

IRELAND International Rules Panel, v Australia: Steven McDonnell (Armagh – captain), Finian Hanley (Galway – vice captain), Colm Begley (Laois), Bernard Brogan (Dublin), Graham Canty (Cork), Seán Cavanagh (Tyrone), Martin Clarke (Down), Stephen Cluxton (Dublin), Brendan Donaghy (Armagh), Leighton Glynn (Wicklow), Daniel Goulding (Cork), James Kavanagh (Kildare), Paddy Keenan (Louth), Tadhg Kennelly (Kerry) Seán McDermott (Roscommon), Ciarán McKeever (Armagh), Kevin McKernan (Down), Brendan Murphy (Carlow), Michael Murphy (Donegal), Kevin Reilly (Meath), Tommy Walsh (Kerry), Emmet Bolton (Kildare), Niall McNamee (Offaly).