Better players, sharper tactics and far more integrated team work gave Ireland a memorable victory at Football Park, Adelaide yesterday. The 19 point win set a couple of records and settled a score from one year ago. It was the first time since the resumed series in 1998 that Ireland had won both Tests and it was a record Test win by either country over those three years.

It also gave Ireland manager Brian McEniff great satisfaction. With a ragged panel and little preparation 12 months ago, he was humiliated by a well-drilled Australian team that won by 25 points over the two matches. On this tour Ireland matched that aggregate win by and laid to rest the dismissive conclusion that as amateurs, they would not be able to compete against professionals.

The victory was also notable for some radical tactical change. In the past Ireland have generally tried to adapt to the mark and use it as a principal attacking platform. This time they eschewed the aerial ball and played much as they would at home.

Whereas it had been assumed that the Australian advantage in the tackle would make this a very risky venture, the Irish forwards executed the ploy with aplomb.

Football Park's wide-open corrals meant that Ireland could find the room to beat defenders to the ball and use the space to create opportunity. Another tactic that the Australians were unable to cope with was that of playing the ball on the ground, soccer style. This was at the heart of the two Irish goals and also other scores.

Despite the excellence of the Irish performance, it would have to be acknowledged that the Australians were subdued and unable to work out any answers as the match turned against them in the third quarter. Ireland's speed of movement foiled the promised raise of the physical stakes and Australia never managed to knock their opponents off their stride.

There were more physical flash-points than the previous week in Melbourne, with four yellow cards being handed out. Two of the Australian fouls were dangerous, with Michael Donnellan having to leave the field and Sean martin Lockhart stretchered off after a late high challenge by Blake Caracella.

With the forwards performing a lot better than in the first Test, Ireland also needed the defence to maintain it's high standards. This was duly delivered. Darren Fay earned the accolade of Irish Player of the Series. The recognition was merited, but yesterday he was more primus inter pares. Lockhart, Kierean McGeeny and Anthony Rainbow all distinguished themselves.

It wasn't, however, a cavalcade of triumph for the visitors for first-half display again wasn't brilliant. But they did enough to stay in touch and dismantled the Australian challenge in the second half. The home side's response wasn't that impressive as they began desperately to chase goals instead of taking what was on offer.

As Australia panicked, Ireland dropped back and left the inside forwards with plenty of room to hit on the other counter and shuttled the ball relentlessly into attack from the tightest and most hair-raising situations at the back.

At the other end, Caracella had a good opportunity but was denied by Cormac Sullivan's quick reflexes. The Meath goalkeeper's early distribution from the back was jittery and occasionally caused problems for the defence, but he was very steady on his line and took a couple of massive catches in the second half.

The productivity of the sporadic first quarter attacks disguised the ineffectiveness of much of the attacking moves as Ireland flung ill-considered long balls into the forwards whose markers had no trouble dealing with such wayward tactics.

Not for the first time in the series a big lead proved vulnerable. Ten points up halfway through the second quarter, Ireland lost the initiative and when Lloyd's opportunistic snap shot flew off a ruck of players and past Sullivan, Australia regained enough momentum to lead at half time by a point, 33-32.

The third quarter was decisive. A feature of Ireland's improvement on the week before was the assertiveness at centrefield. Given Seamus Moynihan's success in the sector in the latter stages of the first Test it was no surprise to see him positioned there yesterday.

For half the third quarter, Ireland outscored Australia 17-4. That proved the game-breaker. With six points in the bank from Melbourne, the tourists were never going to be overhauled on the scoreboard. It was now a matter of how much of a game Australia could make of it. Not much, as it turned out.

Instead, Ireland's forwards bit harder. Kennelly ended up top-scoring with fifteen points from five overs. Padraig Joyce gave his best international performance to date, revelling in the extra space to shoot four second-half overs, one of which was a cracker, curled over from the left wing but deemed to have faded wide for a one-pointer.

It made little difference. As Ireland stretched the lead, there was a small fracas, featuring what the locals call a "bench clearance" from the Irish - an eruption that could be said to reinforce the whiff of indiscipline that has hung over the teams since last weeks' shenanigans. John Crowley abd Brenton Sanderson got yellow cards as a result.

But the story of the night was the performance and the result that reinstated Ireland as holders of the International Rules Trophy.