What a strange and beautiful wonder this game was. Croke Park's sweetheart deal with the elements expired yesterday morning and immediately normal winter service resumed.

Rain, wind, chill and greyness. All served with spiteful vigour. Yet, Ireland and Australia, and the 71,000 who turned up to see them, defied the conditions.

Was there a better attended, better sporting spectacle anywhere in Europe yesterday? Doubtful.

Can anyone finger the precise attraction of these International Rules games?

Yesterday's attendance was the biggest crowd ever to have watched any Irish national team do anything on home soil.

Can it all be Mick and Roy's fault? Is it the spectacle of the game itself? Is it just nationalism? The need for an international outlet?

Since its revival, this experimental series of games has steadily been winning over the sceptics.Yesterday was another giant step for evangelisation and on the Irish sporting calendar, at least, the games stand out as big-deal, major events.

Rightly so. That the series means something significant to those who play it was reassuringly underlined before the game yesterday when Australian captain Shane Crawford took the microphone and spoke briefly to the crowd about what yesterday meant.

After the Bali nightmare last weekend, yesterday was an official day of mourning in Australia.

Crawford, a long, long way from home in an alien climate and about to play a strange game, spoke about sportsmanship and partisanship and home. Then, from the most unpromising of canvases, the teams painted a perfect picture of a match.

The records will show that the game was drawn on 42 points apiece and that, consequently, Ireland lost the series, having failed to recover the deficit of seven points they had picked seven days earlier. Within the statistics, however, lies a stirring drama which almost produced an upset.

Last week, the Irish conceded 24 points in the third quarter and went into the final period looking like beaten dockets.

Yesterday, with a gusty wind, some slanting rain, and a large crowd at their backs, they held the Australians scoreless for the third quarter while scoring 20 points themselves.

That gave Ireland a 19-point advantage on the scoreboard going into the final act. Nineteen up on the scoreboard and 12 points ahead on aggregate.

It couldn't have been pitched better for cliffhanging purposes.

The visitors had the benefit at the end of professional levels of fitness and a howling wind.

They made the best of the latter advantage early in the quarter.

A long high punt of a ball got caught in the air, while down on terra firma Stephen Cluxton, the Dublin goalkeeper, debated whether to come and challenge for it or to wait on his line. He did one then the other.

Luke Darcy, a plunderer's name if ever there was one, didn't vacillate, though. He rose above Darragh Ó Sé, stuck a hammy fist up, and skilfully deflected the ball to the Irish net. The gap was whittled by six points straight off.

The Australians added a series of quick three-pointers and there was concern, suddenly, that they would betray the epic nature of the match by cutting up at the end and creating a deceptively-flattering scoreline for themselves.

The Irish had more in them than we gave credit for, though. They eked out two behinds and an over to put their noses in front. They mined enough possession and worked (the hard way, too) into enough danger areas to look back on this match with genuine regret. The win was there for the taking.

A couple of refereeing decisions went away from them, however, and they paid the price ultimately at the sound of the final klaxon when, three points up, they ran to remonstrate with the officials.

The Australians had a free at the time and Chris Johnson kicked it and watched it hop the crossbar for three points which earned a tie and sowed some confusion about the place.

So Australia won the series. The game had a fine character to it and was marred by violence just once when an odd tussle between Graham Geraghty and Brad Scott seemed about to fizzle out when Scott decided to deliver a few tender fists to the head of Geraghty. He duly got his red card and had the panache to look surprised about it.

That the game has a future no longer seems in doubt. The Australians have been enthusiastic visitors on this trip and GAA officials were pleasantly surprised by the dismay which Seán McCague's suggestion last week that the experiment might have to be abandoned if there were further outbreaks of fisticuffs.

Yesterday, even in a despondent Irish dressing-room, players were keen to endorse the game they had been beaten in.

"It's a great game lads," said Eamon O'Hara as he buzzed about gathering his gear, "that's one great game".

"I like the game," said Kieran McGeeney, more pensively. "I think it's a good game because it rewards the team that transfers the ball rather than holding onto it.

"It's a very quick game. You're on the ball a lot and you're rewarded for winning the ball and moving it on. I think it's a great game.

"Take out the few late tackles and it's not any harder than Gaelic. If you compete for the ball you're rewarded. I think we finished strong in both games."

"The Aussies are like all teams that want to compete and win, they'll do whatever it takes," said Cormac McAnallen "It's an aggressive game as is Gaelic.

"They're good athletes, but it's very enjoyable. No more physical than a good game of football. Good. Hard. Fast. It's great to play alongside these boys."

The management and the visitors concurred. "You only have to look at the people who came out in those conditions today," said John O Keeffe.

"Stand back and listen to the enthusiasm and the way they got behind it. The entertainment value is fantastic. The lads love playing this game because there is so much continuity."

Nathan Brown, the Australian forward, had the last word. "I enjoyed it. I think there is a future. It brings the best players from either codes together. We can all learn. All take it back. Football can become better. The grand final is the ultimate in Australia. I've never won one. This is the most important thing I've ever done in football.

"To win on such an important week when every Australian is hurting. It's such a great honour."