Ireland manager Colm O'Rourke confirmed that he believed his goalkeeper Finbarr McConnell had been sent off at the end of the third quarter of yesterday's International Rules first test at Croke Park.

A fracas followed the hooter's signalling of the break and McConnell ran out from his goal to get involved and appeared to be sent off by Australian official Andrew Coates.

O'Rourke said: "That was the message we were told by the Australian umpire (referee). We were told he was sent off on his own, which I found hard to understand, and then after a consultation the umpire came back and said to us that he hadn't been sent off, that he had been warned. So I don't know what the official position was there. The grey area exists there between warnings and sendings-off."

Accordingly, the Tyrone goalkeeper came out for the final quarter but as his shirt had been torn to ribbons he wore the yellow jersey of selector Mickey Moran.

O'Rourke went on to explain his own evident agitation when he had a heated exchange with Coates after the third quarter before Moran guided him away. He felt that the Irish players weren't sufficiently protected.

"I was annoyed because I thought that . . . ehhhh, you know we can't afford a game where our players are getting roughed up. Now I know that it's a physical game but at times I thought it got too physical and realistically our players can't do that because we've three players (captain John McDermott, Brian Stynes and Colm McManamon) injured and they all have to work tomorrow.

"It's a different thing on the Australian side because they are able to take a lot of the upper-body stuff because they're physically stronger and better able to take those knocks. Our players aren't able to take them and I know Australians will say, `That's tough luck'.

"But we need a fairly clearly defined line in the rough-house stakes. If the series is to continue, it will have to be a bit more clearcut, although I would have to say that the Australians were disciplined and the amount of rough stuff was negligible."

He also made an unexpected suggestion which he felt would redress the balance for next week's second test, which will decide the series (on scoring aggregate).

"What I want next Sunday is for Jim Stynes to play with us. I'm serious, because I think the series needs a lift. What better way of giving it a lift than that?"

Australian journalists were somewhat taken aback and it was later reported that Stynes himself was unimpressed by the prospect of forced repatriation.

Commenting on the free-for-all at the end of the third quarter, Kildare's Glen Ryan said: "Well, I suppose everybody came here to see a scrap, which is unfortunate."

The Irish had created a 54-41 lead at that point and were looking safe but after 60 minutes in which both teams executed any number of hard (generally clean) knocks, emotions spilled over out of the blue. Both nations retreated into huddles, let loose a few battle cries and re-entered the fray.

But while the Irish proved themselves no slouches in the physical exchanges, the Australian's aptitude with the round ball was revelatory. Okay, there were isolated kicks which had repercussions for air traffic control, but there were a lot more gems.

Matthew Lloyd was flawless, steadily picking off overs (three pointers). David Neitz, home comer Jim Stynes, Wayne Carey and Scott Camporeale linked wonderfully and their increasing comfort with the new ball was ominously underlined with 12 minutes remaining. Trailing 6044, Australia's Nathan Eagleton latched on to a defensive mistake and thundered a vicious drive past Finbarr McConnell.

"That shot was something you wouldn't see in Croke Park on any day," marvelled O'Rourke.

Well, except yesterday. The Irish manager had been hoping the home team would skin their opponents for goals, but each side managed two, McCabe and Michael Donnellan netting for Ireland and Neitz crucially tapping home for Australia minutes after his team-mate's dazzler.

In the end, the Irish were left pondering a match which saw them ahead 60-41 in the fledgling stages of the final quarter. But the Australians were blisteringly hot in the last 10 minutes, whittling down that lead as the Irish wilted.

"Sometimes, those one-point wins can be the best," enthused captain Wayne Carey afterwards.