If whatever crafty gene drives the International Rules series could be isolated, it would make a fortune for the biomedical industry. Two years ago the whole concept looked to be on its death bed.

The poorest attendance ever to have watched the series in Ireland had been treated to the spectacle of a very good home team running riot against a side made up exclusively of indigenous Australian players – an idea seemingly plucked off the top of the AFL's then CEO Andrew Demetriou's head when he was giving a television interview.

Viewed in some quarters as an impulsive, political gesture to indigenous players who were becoming increasingly militant about levels of racism in Australian Rules, the idea went down poorly with the GAA, who hadn’t been consulted in advance but who, mindful of the sensitivities involved, weren’t going to protest in public.

By last Saturday evening – after just two Tests in 25 months – the internationals are back in rude health. Demetriou had privately argued in 2013 that he was having such difficulty getting players to participate, there was no choice but to be innovative with the Australian selection. Yet in the space of two years, his successor Gillon McLachlan has managed to field two of the strongest Australian teams ever to contest the series.

That change of heart has been massively influential in restoring the series, which even before two years ago had been undermined by a very weak AFL panel in the home Tests of 2011.

Making inroads

GAA officials have been impressed by the commitment of the Australian players and to be fair to Demetriou and previous series, the switch in scheduling from late October to late November has facilitated that re-engagement by making inroads on the clubs’ pre-season training rather than players’ holidays and injury-management windows.

With administrative issues resolved, the actual game itself had to meet the usual principal requirements: that it be played in a proper spirit and that it be competitive. Both were fulfilled.

It was a pity, however, that the closeness of the match was – as is a recurrent pattern – based on alternating periods of dominance rather than score-for-score competing throughout the four quarters. Then again, you can’t ask for more than the outcome to be still in doubt in the dying seconds of the Test.

On the disciplinary front, it was noticeable that there were no scatters or even mini-brawls. In the past, Australian teams facing a big deficit on the scoreboard have succumbed to the temptation to unsettle the Irish in the most reliable way – by starting fights.

Ireland, too, appeared to resist the urge to niggle their opponents, instead concentrating on playing ball – and to spectacular effect against one of the strongest AFL selections ever.

The match featured some of the most skilful play seen in an international, as the home team’s tactic of playing to the strengths of a dazzling full-forward line proved successful and the aerial skills of the GAA players belied their collective height disadvantage.

The display of catching was impressive and in the second half the Australians gave an exhibition of one of their strengths, the ability to take marks in attacking positions despite the attentions of defenders.

Captain Bernard Brogan had noted on Friday that the International Rules really suited a forward who could get out in front of his man and that, as it was a game in which a goal was effectively worth two points rather than three in Gaelic football, it made sense to go after overs, which he did.

There were other heartening sights: Aidan O’Shea’s superb display was a blistering refutation of last year’s indications that he lacked the mobility necessary for the international game and Diarmuid Connolly put to rest apprehensions that his accomplished ball play would be ineffective against the international tackle.

There was also the re-emergence of one of the series' great traditions – high performance by players from less successful counties, with Longford's Michael Quinn and Gary Brennan from Clare making major contributions in the company of, amongst others, nine current All Stars.

One issue that cropped up again and again over the past week was the unsatisfactory nature of the one-Test series.

From a playing point of view, it's like Russian roulette: no opportunity to recover if it goes badly. This happened to Ireland last year and to Australia at the weekend. Each fought back but had left themselves too much to do.

There are other drawbacks to the solitary Test. In the past the first match, as well as acclimatising the players, was a promotional platform for the organising association. Although Saturday’s attendance of 38,386 was only half what the series could attract at the high points of the last decade, it’s worth remembering that those events in 2002 and ’06 were second Tests.

Capitalise

That meant that there was a whole week after a first Test to capitalise on the interest generated by the first match.

Viewed in that light, Saturday’s Croke Park attendance was actually the third-best crowd at a first Test of the 10 series to date played in Ireland over the past 31 years.

Talks are now in progress and there would appear to be consensus that a second Test is desirable. Also under consideration is the possibility of taking the internationals to a global audience by staging a series in a different country (initially the US, with New York likely) every third year with the other series in the cycle being played in Ireland and Australia.

With a 32nd birthday and who knows what global destination on the horizon, it’s been some turnaround in fortune for the international project.

smoran@irishtimes.com