GAA banking on Aussie backlash

International Rules/Second Test: The GAA remain confident that the crowd at next Sunday's second International Rules Test won't be decimated by Ireland's big win. For the first time since the international project resumed in 1998, the series is effectively over going into the final Test.

"Traditionally the bigger GAA crowd attends the second Test," said Dermot Power, the GAA's Commercial and Marketing Manager. "There were a lot of county finals on at the weekend and I'd expect a bigger audience for next week.

"Obviously we'd prefer the series to be on a knife-edge with three points in it either way, but to be honest the worst-case scenario would be for Ireland to be losing by 36 points."

Power said that the marketing plan had prepared for the current contingency. "We went for the 'it's never over till it's over' line in the ads because we had to take the possibility of what has happened into consideration.

"I think people who follow International Rules will be aware that the Australians will come back strongly. I've just finished cancelling some golf that was being organised for them. I think you'll find they'll be much more competitive."

The Australian panel are staying in Ashford Castle until the end of this week.

Good news on the international front came with the decision of the Cork County Board to defer the county hurling final for a week. Originally the Cloyne-Na Piarsaigh match was scheduled for this Sunday and would have clashed with the second Test at Croke Park.

The hurling final found itself at the heart of a clash when Seán Ó hAilpín and his brother Setanta - who has played for the club during the close season of his AFL club Carlton - ended up on the International Rules panel.

"Naturally enough there was reluctance to postpone the game," according to county chairperson Jim Forbes, "but this was more to do with the difficulties facing the winners. But with the players involved with Ireland the vote was always going to be in favour of changing the date."

The Cork champions are due to play Tipperary's Toomevara in the Munster championship on November 7th, a week after the re-scheduled county final.

"We would hope that the Munster Council would bear in mind the circumstances and allow whoever wins an extra week before playing the club championship fixture," added Forbes.