Squaring up for a grudge Meath-Dublin match

THEY should have held it in Croke Park. Just as surely as Monday night's debate was the curtain-raiser to this one, so last night's clash of would-be Taoisigh was the prelude to Sunday week's grudge GAA match between Dublin and Meath.

The grounds of RTE had all the ingredients for a big game last night. Perfect weather, a noisy banner-waving crowd (Youth Defence protesters, actually), and a young man starting his speech with the immortal words "Ta an athas orm....

He was jumping the gun a bit, but the Jason Sherlock of Fianna Fail was in confident mood. He had been first out on the pitch at Montrose and be had time to chat with the press; Mr Bruton's later arrival meant he had to rush straight into the studios, but he, too, looked relaxed as he greeted his opponent with a casual "How're ye? I haven't seen you for ages.

He obviously hasn't looked at a lamp post for the past three weeks.

As with all Dublin-Meath games, however, a melee was not far away. It developed a few minutes into the debate when the Meathman introduced the subject of Fianna Fail's alleged inability to sustain a coalition partnership. As surely as an insult about a footballer's parentage, this led to an all-in brawl, after which both sides were - in a manner of speaking - down to 14 men.

For a man whose ubiquitous election posters were heavily underlit, the debate was a bigger risk for Bertie. The bright lights of a Montrose studio are merciless with any spots on a leader's image. But of course, Mr Ahern was heavily made-up as, according to Mr Bruton, were his tax policies - and matched his opponent's presidential appearance in most of the exchanges.

The Fianna Fail management's prior decision to drop public sector job cuts from the line-out proved a wise one. Although it had played well for the PDs, the policy just never looked comfortable in a coalition jersey and was ruthlessly exposed by Kerry in Monday's minor game.

John Bruton had clearly worked on this in training and improvised by lobbing a few high balls into the gap left by what he claimed was Fianna Fail's "reprimand" of its junior partner. But these were mopped up by Bertie and turned into counter-attacks.

Inexplicably, the Fianna Fail man overlooked the tactic of telling jokes to get his opponent laughing. It would have been a dirty move, but a burst of Brutonesque honking on national TV could have swung several key marginals in Fianna Fail's favour.

Once, after an awkward stumble on the first syllable of the word "focusing," the Taoiseach appeared ready to laugh by himself. But he steadied.

Having started with what sounded like a winning speech, Bertie Ahern left RTE with a simple quip: "I think I'll break my pledge." Analysts said this was not a reference to anything in his election manifesto, merely the response of a man who had done a thirsty night's work.

John Bruton, too, had drink on his mind. Looking relaxed and happy, he predicted a Meath victory (on Sunday week) and said that whatever happened in that or the intervening match he hoped to share a celebratory pint with Bertie afterwards "in a hostelry to be decided."