Two years ago a thrilling Coca-Cola International Rules series went down to the wire in vile weather.

Yesterday at Croke Park an expectant attendance was spared the worst of the forecast rain but not the worst of the Australians, who put up the most pitiful performance in the 20-year history of the composite game.

Ireland were very good, and although it was hard to see where one extreme ended and the other began, the winning total of 77 is the second highest in the series' history.

Otherwise there were a number of records set. On the positive side, the upward momentum of first-Test crowds was maintained with a record turnout of over 46,000 for an opening match in Ireland.

Quite what the result does for next week's attendance remains to be seen, but although GAA officials were talking up the advance sales and the consistent trend of bigger crowds at second Tests, it seems safe to assume that the country won't be agog at the prospect.

A less happy record set was the winning margin of 36 points, 11 points up on the previous benchmark from 17 years ago. Whereas the home side might be grimly satisfied with such a crushing victory, the delicate balance the series needs to maintain its progress suffered terrible disruption.

Ironically, after two years of consistent improvement by the Australians with the round ball and a creeping sense of gloom concerning Ireland's long-term prospects, yesterday the tables turned so completely that Garry Lyon and the Australians were taken aback at how dominant the home side had been in the visitors' customary areas of expertise - high marking (which they managed not once), physical pressure and tackling.

Usually the balance of the game is maintained by Ireland's superior ball skills being undermined by pressurised marking and their opponents' ability to pace themselves better over 80 minutes. During the week Lyon drew attention to the big leads Ireland tend to open up in the first quarter and how little by little the AFL players reel them in over the following hour.

Yesterday the margin stood at 23 after 20 minutes and already the visitors must have been feeling uneasy.

There was growing evidence that Ireland had improved their finishing skills after the slight decline of recent years.

Not alone did the home side kick seven overs, the equivalent of a Gaelic games point worth three in the international game, but there were no wides, and even the one-point behinds - testaments to poor shooting - had been restricted to one.

There was also a goal, worth six points, to boost the scoreline further. That came from Steven McDonnell and demonstrated two emerging patterns: the ease with which Ireland could find men in space and the ability to get the right men in on goal.

In the 14th minute, Seán Ó hAilpín, who played astonishingly well for someone who hadn't experienced intercounty football for four years, began the move. Graham Canty continued it and found Benny Coulter - in tremendous form yesterday - who clipped the ball into the onrushing McDonnell, whose shot gave Mal Michael no chance.

Afterwards the Australians were stunned by their opponents' capacity to ride challenges, run around their markers and generally get free inside the defence. Added to this was the quality shooting from players like Des Dolan, McDonnell and Wexford's Mattie Forde, who more than demonstrated his aptitude for the international game.

It was Forde's goal - ghosting through the defence and finishing clinically - in the 33rd minute that effectively killed the match.

For a while in the second quarter Australia began to move fluently, using their mobility to support each other and switching play up the field quite slickly. But it was a flourish rather than an emerging trend.

Their support play, normally impeccable, was ragged, and with goalkeeper Michael struggling to initiate quick-breaking moves from the back, Australia had no momentum.

Neither were they getting scores on the board. Having had to start without the injured Matthew Lappin, they were weakened up front. Luke Ball, James Hird and Nathan Brown threatened, but without the screw being turned farther out the field they had no platform on which to build, no steadily increasing tempo to create the number of chances they traditionally need to build winning totals.

Ireland simply dominated the terms of the match.

Manager Peter McGrath said they intended to move the ball so quickly that the Australians would have difficulty imposing their natural advantage in the tackle. And that's the way it turned out.

Seán Martin Lockhart mentioned afterwards that the players had monotonously practised kick-passing, and that too showed. Very few passes went astray and very rarely did Ireland play each other into trouble.

Defence also proved well up to the task. Canty was his usual commanding self at the heart of the defence and all around him were excellent displays, including Stephen Cluxton's calm but energetic goalkeeping.

Lockhart and Ciarán McManus both moved top of the all-time list of Ireland caps and did so with stylish performances.

Tom Kelly, last year's experience clearly benefiting him, had a terrific game, popping up all over the defence and unleashing driving runs at the heart of the Australian defence.

Inklings that the visitors had looked vulnerable in the face of running attacks during last week's practice match against a Dublin selection proved all too accurate and Ireland exploited this to devastating effect.

Just after half-time a quick goal from Brown, well crafted by Hird and Nick Riewoldt, got the "moving quarter" off to a lively start, and for a while it looked like living up to its name. As time went by the margin was down to 20 - well within the Australians' final-quarter range, but in the 54th minute even that faint prospect of competition dissolved.

Dolan's precision ball sent captain Padraic Joyce in for a third goal and the half-time lead of 30 had shrunk by only four as the last quarter loomed.

The Australians' traditional advantage in those closing 20 minutes really requires Ireland to be tiring and feeling the pressure.

But in yesterday's uninhibited context there was nothing to fear, and whereas the Irish frequently half look as if they expect to lose big leads, this time they knew they weren't in any danger.

Australian frustration was visible in Mark McVeigh's yellow card for lashing out at Forde, and Ireland, with Tadhg Kennelly punishing his AFL colleagues with two well-taken overs, cruised the quarter 20-10.