Ireland manager Brian McEniff faces an anxious wait to see which of the All-Ireland final players will be available for next Sunday's second Test. Already out is Kerry centrefielder Darragh O Se, who has a county championship match on at the weekend. There have been conflicting indications from Kerry captain Seamus Moynihan.
"I've no confirmation from any of the players so far," according to McEniff. "I'll be hoping they answer the call in the days ahead. There's a few injuries. Peter Canavan got a box on the nose and has a few other superficial injuries. Glenn Ryan's hamstring has been a problem and it was touch-and-go whether he'd be able to play in the first Test.
"Glenn has a county final on Saturday and we'll be hoping that he comes through in one piece. Kieran McGeeney, who missed Sunday because of a hamstring, should be all right for the second Test but he's a county final as well on Saturday."
In the immediate aftermath of Saturday's All-Ireland success, Moynihan suggested that he might not take part in the second Test, whereas on Sunday he appeared to warm more to the idea without making a firm commitment. It is also hoped that Kerry's goalkeeper, Declan O'Keeffe, will be in a position to join up.
One complication is that the GOAL challenge between the new All-Ireland champions and Cork is scheduled for Killarney tomorrow, the same day as the Ireland players reconvene in Dublin to prepare for the second Test.
Moynihan remains the major concern. O'Keeffe was excellent in Australia last year, and although his replacement, Cormac Sullivan from Meath, played well on Sunday, O'Keeffe's kickouts are the best in the game. Moynihan, however, was a major loss to a defence which became a bit ragged as the match wore on and was under tremendous pressure in the final, decisive quarter.
After Darren Fay received a knock on his thigh, Ireland were stuck a bit for full back cover. Leitrim's Seamus Quinn has an All Star at full back, but the demands of the international game are different, whereas Anthony Tohill - who was deployed to counter the aerial threat of Justin Leppitsch - is more effective out the field.
Moynihan, who excelled at corner back in last year's series, would be an enormous addition to the defensive cover. Sean de Paor from Galway would also be a great addition. A veteran of the last two years, he and Cork's injured Ciaran O'Sullivan have been sorely missed at wing back. McEniff is hopeful that the Galway players can join the panel, but again there is a complication in that Jarlath Fallon is getting married on Friday and a number of his Galway team-mates will be in attendance.
Team captain Padraig Joyce is understood to be keen to get involved in what would be his first series, but he is nursing an arm injury from Saturday's All-Ireland. Michael Donnellan, whose ferocious pace has caused great difficulty to Australia over the last two years, is another of the All-Ireland tied players Ireland's management would love to see back in action. He is carrying a leg injury from the weekend's replay.
Meanwhile, the Australians leave today for a couple of days in the west. They will spend until Thursday in Galway and Clare before returning to training for the second Test, which offers them a great chance of winning a series for the first time since the 1998 resumption.
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