Tough but fair the Boylan manifesto

GAA/International Rules: In ways Seán Boylan's appointment as Ireland manager for the International Rules series with Australia was, as Darwin might say, a case of natural selection. Ian O'Riordan reports

Beyond his extraordinary record with Meath football, Boylan will probably help restore a bit of the fear and intimidation factor that Ireland could well need to survive the 2006 Tests after what happened in Australia last autumn.

And Boylan's management team is the most impressively qualified of the series to date. Joining him for the next two years will be two former Irish captains - Anthony Tohill of Derry, who also briefly played the Australian code, and Pádraic Joyce of Galway, who captained Ireland for the past two years but now moves to the backroom team. Joyce will, of course, continue to play with Galway.

Kerry's Eoin "Bomber" Liston, who played in the inaugural series in the 1980s, and Wicklow manager Hugh Kenny, who previously managed the Irish Youths team, complete Boylan's management team. All four were in Croke Park for yesterday's press briefing and it was clear they weren't just in it for the return trip to Australia next year.

Regarding the choice of Boylan as successor to Pete McGrath, GAA president Nickey Brennan first said what an honour it was to have a man of his experience on board. Boylan responded by saying the honour was all his, but that it was also a big challenge he was looking forward to.

"Over the years I've seen what it meant to players in my own county," said Boylan. "Because it's a massive thing to represent your country. Of course there was a lot of controversy in the last series, but if anything that proved how much people cared about it, and how much they want to see it played better."

The ugly, violent scenes that overshadowed Australia's victory last October was still on Boylan's mind as he spoke about his ambitions for the next two years. The game, he believes, definitely has a future but the rule changes will need to be rigidly adhered to or else the series will almost certainly die. But that doesn't mean it has to be child's play.

"We'll still be endeavouring to keep it as competitive as we can. We don't want to take that out of it. I don't think it would be in either of our natures to take that out. It is the compromise rules series, but we want to have it that it will enhance our game, as well as the Australian game.

"But we want it that players will want to play and represent their country with distinction.

"It's a huge challenge, yes, but it's a great challenge. I think anyone who's been involved in sport all their life loves a challenge, and the chance to go again. And with the people I have with me I'm particularly excited about that.

"But to be quite honest, I never thought I'd even be asked. And I couldn't say it was an ambition either because the only job I was ever interested in was the one I was doing. So when Nickey asked me I was taken aback, and he'll tell you that. He gave me some time to think about it, because maybe my legs aren't as young as they used to be. But I'd hope my mind might still be as clear. But if all these football brains come together in the interest of an Irish team then it's very hard to turn your back on that."

Boylan pointed to the inclusion of Joyce and Tohill as one way of ensuring the best players available to Ireland will return for the upcoming series, despite the negative experience in Australia last time out.

"It was important to have men like this on board," added Boylan, "because one thing for sure is this series was never intended to be career-threatening. It was supposed to be a career-enhancing series, and we want to get that back. No one was happy with the things that happened last year, including the Australians. So at least we're all in agreement with that.

"Maybe that means we've got to convince certain players how serious we are about having a proper series, and that they will enjoy playing it. But it's vital everybody goes into it with the right spirit, because if we don't we'll be in trouble again before we even start. We've a lot of work to do, but I believe that is a very marketable product, and can be a fantastic game. It can cause a great buzz and great excitement and I want to see that returning to it."

During his 23 years as Meath manager Boylan won four All-Irelands (1987, 1988, 1996 and 1999) and three league titles before his retirement last autumn. He won't finalise his Irish panel until after the championship, but it seems certain a stronger, more physical player will become the prototype: "We'll sit down and look at past videos and so on, and obviously come up with the players we feel are most suitable. But I would think the most important thing is players have the heart for it.

"Skill is vital. And of course physical strength is important as well. But we all know that because the Australians are professionals they will probably always be physically stronger. But that doesn't mean we can't match them in other ways. And that's the challenge for us.

"But I'd be very confident the rule changes will ensure the game is played fair, because I believe the players got blamed for an awful lot of what happened the last time, and I felt a lot of that was because of the lack of clarity on the rules.

"It's also vital that the referees and those on the line have no fear or favour about making a decision. They have to be completely impartial. To me that was the most distasteful thing of what happened the last time."