Irish learn little in facile victory

Ireland's International Rules panel had an easy win over an AFL Academy selection at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday. Manager Brian McEniff referred to the practice match as "a final trial" in advance of Friday's first Test at the same venue.

However, McEniff and his management team of John O'Keeffe and Paddy Clarke were handed their first injury problem when Kildare's Niall Buckley had to leave the field injured with a recurrence of his hamstring problem.

The Ireland manager indicated that if the injury turned out to be serious, Galway's Jarlath Fallon - an experienced player on the international stage - would get the call-up as cover for any mishap in the centrefield or forward area.

It wasn't as if the Irish picked up any priceless information in exchange for this potential loss. The match was farcical and devoid of the competitive fundamentals that had characterised this practice match two years ago - at least over the first two quarters.

Eventually Ireland won by over 90 points, 102 (7-16-12) to 10 (0-2-4) in a match from which the visitors will have taken very little. As an added vexation, the original starting time of six o'clock was brought forward by an hour, with the result that the team got very little experience of the MCG lights under which Friday's Test will be played.

Irish reaction was disappointed by the poor challenge placed before the team. The Academy team was believed to be capable of providing a reasonably tough workout, because many of the AFL institute's players have participated in the under-17 series between the countries which has run in tandem with the senior Tests since the resumption in 1998.

On this occasion, however, the team had to be bolstered - not alone by the couple of additional players that were allowed two years ago - but by the deployment of what might at home be called "bangers", players obviously over-age, who were drafted in to supplement the team.

The situation brought to mind last year's Australia tour to Ireland during which the visitors warmed up with a match against a Dublin selection at Parnell Park. In its way, it was as useless an exercise as yesterday's, and then Australian manager Dermott Brereton remarked at the end of the international series that both countries had a right to expect better-quality preparatory matches.

Whether the listlessness of yesterday's proceedings was a deliberate feature or not, there seems no doubt that the Academy wasn't taking the whole exercise as seriously as they did in 1999.

On the field, the Irish weren't that impressive, despite the massive win. Too often they hand-passed aimlessly, apparently oblivious to the fact that on Friday, limp and looping hand passes will reach the recipient at the same time as a few Australians steaming in to ransack the unfortunate player.

Goals were scored and the Ireland management accepts that these six-pointers will be vital to the country's prospects of winning the Tests. But goals - even seven of them - scored against such feeble resistance give no accurate indication of the forwards' scoring potential.

Brendan Devenney of Donegal showed well and helped himself to two of the goals and looks a likely starter. The other five goals came from Cormac McAnallen (Tyrone), captain Anthony Tohill (Derry) with two, Ciaran McManus (Offaly) and Brendan Jer O'Sullivan (Cork).

Other straws in the wind were the deployment of Ciaran Whelan as cover for Darren Fay at full back. It is felt by McEniff and his selectors that the Meathman has been overused in the past, with the result that he hasn't been adequately rested in advance of the final-quarter assaults on goal. Cork's Graham Canty has impressed everyone but hasn't the physical presence to handle the Jurassic challenges likely to be provided by the home full forwards. Whelan looked comfortable in the role, but questions will be asked about the wisdom of sacrificing his attacking flair to shore up the defence.

One player who looks to be moving clear of that conundrum is Kerry's Seamus Moynihan. Started at centre back, where he can provide such an intelligent platform for the team, the Millennium Footballer of the Year is set to switch from the full back line where he has been so successful in the international series as well as for his county.

Other news concerns captaincy matters. In a major blow to Australia, James Hird - their most distinguished player in last year's series - has had to withdraw because of the need for surgery. The Essendon player has been unlucky with injury, and 2000 remains the only year in which he was able to take part in the international series.

Hird's absence means an extraordinary curse has settled on the various international captains from the respective countries. None of the five players who have captained Ireland and Australia since the 1998 resumption are available for this series.

Hird and Nathan Buckley are injured, whereas their predecessor, Wayne Carey, is no longer considered, having had an injury-ravaged career himself.

Meath and Skryne team-mates John McDermott and Trevor Giles have similarly not been available this year.

On the vice-captaincy front, it was confirmed by the Ireland management that, in a slightly strange initiative, Seamus Moynihan and Graham Greraghty would share the responsibility.

No team selections in advance of the first Test are expected before tomorrow.

IRELAND (starting XV): C Sullivan (Meath); G Canty (Cork), D Fay (Meath), SM Lockhart (Derry); S de Paor (Galway), S Moynihan (Kerry), E O'Hara (Sligo); A Tohill (Derry), D O Se (Kerry); BJ O'Sullivan (Cork), G Geraghty (Meath), D Earley (Kildare); P Joyce (Galway), D McCabe (Cavan), J Crowley (Kerry). Subs: All replacements were used.