GAA act on Hird threats

The GAA has asked the Garda to follow up Australian captain James Hird's comments he received a death threat before last weekend's first Test.

Hird's remarks were made during a media conference at Croke Park. He had, he said, received abusive "messages saying that I would be lucky not to walk off Croke Park with a bullet in my head".

Describing the incidents as "the actions of a mindless moron", the GAA said in a press statement neither they nor AFL officials had been aware of the matter until the player's comments yesterday.

Both Hird and his coach Garry Lyon seemed anxious to play down the incident. According to Hird: "I don't think it was serious. I took the phone off the hook."

"We have the same peanuts at home," said Lyon, "a mindless, senseless minority."

Ireland manager Peter McGrath said the incident had been "deplorable" and captain Pádraic Joyce described it as "unbelievable and disgraceful".

Meanwhile, three players will miss tomorrow's second Test because of injury. Ireland's Steven McDonnell is out with a leg injury whereas Australia's Matt Lappin again misses out because of a quad strain and his team-mate Jared Crouch has returned home with a broken collar bone.