Ireland build up healthy advantage after first test

Ireland 57 (2-12-9) Australia 35 (1-7-8): Ireland completed a comfortable victory in tonight's first test of the international rules in Kingspan Breffni Park, Cavan before a crowd of 17,657.

The home team established an early dominance to lead 17-4 after the first quarter with team captain Michael Murphy contributing two overs for six points.

He had good support from Laois' Ross Munnelly who finished the evening as Ireland's top scorer with nine.

The lead had stretched to 28-9 by half-time and the series was effectively finished with the Australian all-indigenous team struggling to get to grips with the round ball and contain Ireland’s quick attacks.

Ireland’s only AFL player Zac Tuohy got the first goal after racing through the middle and finishing expertly to net for a 38-14 lead.

But with the whole contest running out of steam, Ireland took the foot off the pedal and the Australians came to terms with the ball and found a higher tempo. Lance Franklin, their most celebrated player, got on the ball and with their movement and ball retention greatly improved, they began to cut the deficit.

Jake Neade slipped in a goal and Lewis Jetta and Aaron Davey kicked overs before a behind from Franklin cut the margin to 12 by the end of the 'moving quarter'.

The pressure was sustained in the fourth quarter and the margin fell to eight before Ireland recovered. The most critical score in the comeback came from Kevin McLaughlin, who fastened on to a break from a dropping Murphy free and broke through to score a second goal.

There was potentially very bad news for Ireland when vice captain Aidan Walsh had to carried off in the second half with a leg injury.

SCORERS - Ireland: Munnelly 9, Murphy 7, McLoughlin, Tuohy 6 each, McManus, Sheehan, Byrne 4 each, Boyle, Begley, O'Shea, Cavanagh, Flynn 3 each, McCaffrey, Kilkenny 1 each. Australia: Motlop 8, Neade, Franklin 6 each, Aaron Davey 4, Stokes, Leroy Jetta, Lewis Jetta 3 each, Barry, Wells 1 each.

IRELAND: 1 P O'Rourke (Meath); 17 N McGee (Donegal), 9 F Hanley (Galway), 18 C McKaigue (Derry); 12 L Keegan (Mayo), 27 Z Touhy (Carlton and Laois), 15 J McCaffrey (Dublin); 28 A Walsh (Cork), 5 S Cavanagh (Tyrone); 8 P Flynn (Dublin), 4 C Byrne (Louth), 25 C Sheehan (Cork); 14 P McBrearty (Donegal), 23 M Murphy (Donegal; capt), 22 R Munnelly (Laois). Replacements: 6 P Conroy (Galway), 13 C Kilkenny (Dublin), 20 K McLaughlin (Mayo), 21 C McManus (Monaghan), 24 A O'Shea (Mayo), 26 M Shields (Cork).

AUSTRALIA: 9 A McGrath (Brisbane); 5 J Harbrow (Gold Coast), 13 C Yarran (Carlton), 14 T Armstrong (Sydney Swans); 28 C Ellis-Yolmen (Adelaide), 42 N Lovett-Murray (Essendon), 36 Aaron Davey (Melbourne); 23 L Franklin (Sydney Swans), 8 D Wells (North Melbourne); 3 S Motlop, (Geelong) 12 L Thomas (North Melbourne), 15 Lewis Jetta (Sydney Swans); 19 E Betts (Adelaide), 27 M Stokes (Geelong), 33 J Hill (West Coast). Replacements: 7 Leroy Jetta (Essendon), 21 S Wellingham (West Coast), 22 S Edwards (GWS), 29 Alwyn Davey (Essendon). 32 J Neade (Port Adelaide), 34 D Barry (Melbourne).