International Rules Under-17 series: Ian O'Riordan on how Australia, by fielding too many players, contrived to lose a Test and the series
Novelty is still a large part of International Rules but nothing compares to what happened in Croke Park yesterday. In breaching one obscure yet crucial rule the Australian under-17 team went from certain winners to certain losers, and in the end handed Ireland a red-faced victory - and the series tour to go with it.
About six minutes into the fourth and final quarter, with Australia leading 62-29 and running away with the second Test and most likely the series too, the game was suddenly stopped. Both teams were called straight to the middle of the field and the two referees started to count heads.
Ireland had 15 players as allowed, but Australia had 16. The referees counted again to be sure and then made their way up the steps of the Hogan Stand to confer with Kevin Sheehan, the Australian tour leader and the man who, in consultation with the GAA's Pat Daly, actually devises the rules. In his hand was the official and clearly tedious rulebook.
Already Sheehan had opened on rule 5.5, which concerns the counting of players. Under a complicated procedure the penalty for surpassing the allowed 15 players in any moment of play is outlined in rule 5.5.3 (c) - it calls for the offending team to surrender all points earned up to the moment of the infringement. In this case all 62 points. So the scoreboard was wiped clear and reappeared as Ireland 29 Australia 0.
What happened in the remaining 10 minutes was as expected. Australian heads dropped and all life was extinguished from the game. The final score of 31-7 was of no significance, except to confirm that Ireland had won the second Test, and with it the series for the first time in the six years of exchange tours at under-17 level.
It was a surreal conclusion to a game that had started so competitively under bright sunshine. A couple of thousand people had spread themselves around the Hogan Stand and although the Australians were largely destroying their Irish counterparts, the atmosphere was largely jovial.
Ireland had won the first Test in Galway last Sunday and there was always next Sunday's third Test in Cork to look forward to.
Now the Australians will only be playing for pride. They were the better side yesterday, with their levels of fitness and conditioning far beyond what the Irish under-17s could hope to have developed. But then the Australians are already being groomed for a professional game.
As they trooped off the Croke Park turf it was impossible not to feel sorry for them. Yet as Sheehan explained, the same penalty applies at all levels of International Rules, and a similar one also exists in the Australian Football League. And apparently the Australians breached the rule more than once yesterday.
"Of course, it could be looked on as a harsh rule," he said, with a hint of regret. "But it is also an essential one. This is one game where it is absolutely vital that you keep track of players coming on and off the field, because if you do have an extra man on it could be a huge advantage."
Under the rules, only the team captain can request the referee to stop the game and do a headcount. The Irish bench had in fact spotted a possible infringement shortly before the end of the first half, when they counted 17 Australian players on the field. They let that one go.
Part of the problem was that the Australians were freely using their interchange players (which are unlimited) and at times introduced two or three fresh players at a time.
It seems certain then that the fatal mistake in the final quarter arose when three Australian players came on to replace two.
Irish captain Mark Lynch was told to inform the referees and so started the inquisition. Once the breach was confirmed however, there was no dispute from the Australians.
"Nobody wants to win a game that way but the rule is there for a very important reason," added Daly.
"If teams are getting away with it then it is very unfair on the other side. It may be a little harsh but it's exactly the same at senior level and I don't see any reason why the rule should be changed."
One other keen observer yesterday was new GAA president Sean Kelly and he offered a brief reaction to the breach of rule.
"Expect an amendment," he said with a smile.
IRELAND: P Kearney (Kildare), D Barrett (Meath) 4, G Bradshaw (Galway), D Culloty (Kerry) 3, D Egan (Tipperary) 3, B Faherty (Galway), I Fleming (Laois), F Goold (Cork) 7, S Graham (Derry), A Hanley (Mayo), S Hogan (Galway) 3, C Hughes (Kildare) 2, P Kerrigan (Cork) 6, M Lynch (Derry), S McCarthy (Cork), S P Henry (Derry), J McCormack (Armagh), B Moran (Kerry), J O'Brien (Dublin), P O'Reilly (Cavan), J O'Sullivan (Kerry), S Prendergast (Waterford), L Quinn (Kerry), K Reilly (Cavan), C Vernon (Armagh) 3.
AUSTRALIA: J Willoughby, K Archibald, B Stanton, L Peel, B Morrison, A Walker 3, D Trotter, I Thompson, C Johnson, D McConnell, R Griffen, B Drew, B Waters, B McLean, A McQualter, F Ray, B Davis 3, B Copping, C Stewart, P Richardson, S Garrubba 1, M Hodge, R Tambling, H Grundy, B Sharp, T Schmidt, S Butler, B Hall, T Chaplin.
Referees: David Coldrick (Ireland), Damien Scully (Australia).
