GAELIC GAMES:BETWEEN THE howling wind and driving rain that swept through Newbridge yesterday the GAA's new yellow-card rule may well have undergone a different sort of test: players tackling with greater abandon in the hope they would actually get carded, and thus earn an early shower.
Conditions countrywide, for sure, were far from pretty, but Kildare and Meath managed to produce a highly entertaining O'Byrne Cup quarter-final - a hard, physical and committed game of football, with only two players getting that early shower.
Kildare warmed the home crowd too with a 1-10 to 1-8 victory, despite going the first 20 minutes without a score. In the end it was a performance that offered further hope the GAA may have finally found what they're looking for in the crackdown on indiscipline.
"It's January," deadpanned Kildare manager Kieran McGeeney - his response to any attempt at reading too deeply into either the result or the new yellow-card rule.
"I'll not be celebrating too much anyway. I'd hope any silverware we do get this year comes closer to the summertime. I just think if we win the O'Byrne Cup and nothing else then I won't be the most popular man around here."
Common sense seemed to prevail as Dublin referee Gary McCormack issued only two replaceable dismissals - first to Kildare midfielder Daryl Flynn for a high tackle on his opposite number, and later to Meath forward David Bray for an awkward tackle on Kildare defender Mickey Conway.
"Common sense is the key to all refereeing," added McGeeney. "So if this is making all referees stand up and show a bit more common sense about their approach then great. But even with only two yellow cards out there today, it is hard for players to leave the field. Daryl (Flynn) knows he was stupid, raised his hand, and yes, that should have been a yellow card.
"But in fairness to the Meath man, it was an awkward tackle more than anything else. For me, a heavy challenge is when the man doesn't get up. Because if you hit a man around the head he's not going to get up. But there is a difference between a head-high tackle and an awkward tackle, and that was an awkward tackle, on Mickey Conway.
"He (David Bray) just went in awkward, with his hands, as Mickey was soloing the ball, and his head went down. Mickey got up and went on, and in that situation I just think it's harsh for a player to leave the field.
"Maybe three awkward tackles and you'd say that's too awkward, too often. I just still think come the heat of the championship, when people are going full-blooded into tackles . . . then it will be a long time to train to spend most of the time on the sideline, because of an awkward challenge."
Elsewhere, champions Dublin, fielding another third-string team, were beaten 0-9 to 0-6 by Wicklow, while All-Ireland champions Tyrone lost 0-16 to 0-9 to Down in Ulster's McKenna Cup.
