Larry finally living the dream

MORE than 20 years later than he wished, Larry Tompkins is experiencing the buzz of international competition.

Back in 1984, he was selected for the inaugural International Rules game in Pairc Uí Chaoimh but travelled to America.

Six years later, he was elected captain but was ruled out after a serious knee injury while leading Cork to All-Ireland victory over Meath.

Tompkins, approached about the role of selector by Sean Kelly two years ago, initially wasn't keen on the job as he had just finished his stint as Cork manager.

"I had been involved in football since 1978/79, when I came on the scene with Kildare. Every guy needs to step back now and then so I felt I needed a break. I know Sean a long time and he's a good friend. He persuaded me to get involved and I must say I have enjoyed it.

"It's a different side of management. You're dealing with the best players. I played against Brian Dooher when he was starting out with Tyrone and I played against Mickey Linden [assistant manager to Pete McGrath]. I'm rooming with Mickey Whelan [the former Dublin manager], who is a real connoisseur of the game and has a wealth of experience."

Tompkins admitted preparations for the first test might have been "a bit too much" and the performance in Perth was lethargic while the passing, kicking and tackling was also poor.

"Elementary mistakes were made and maybe the mind was thinking five or ten seconds slower than you can afford at this level.

"You must remember that ten players were involved in the All-Ireland final seven of them with Tyrone. The players gave it everything in training, the games were competitive and everybody was trying to make the 23. Maybe they weren't as fresh as we would have liked on the day."

Tompkins also said the Australians deserve praise for their display.

"Their kicking was the best I have seen from any Australia team. They were more suited to the round ball than any players who have been involved since the series started. They had a few who were better at kicking than others, Daniel Giansiracusa for instance, who seemed very prominent throughout the game. Chris Newman did a tagging job on Ciaran McDonald and also made his presence felt around the field.

"Their kicking game and their passing game with the round ball seemed to suit their players. They certainly felt at ease with it and their possession coming from the goalkeeper had us on the back foot for a while until we rectified it at half-time. It allowed them to get a lot of easy possession.

"An analysis of their game-plan showed that they used the handpass to work the ball towards midfield and resorted to kick-passing to make their 'marks' further up. It meant that the speed at which the game was being played suited their fast players. They also looked fresher and hungrier."

For Ireland to win on Friday night, they will first have to dominate the opening quarter according to Tompkins.

"That will be very important if we are to get them on the back foot and get them to make mistakes. You don't know how a team is going to respond if they are not in the ascendancy. We would be hoping to get on top early on and see how these guys react when they are behind.

"The last day the Australians went out to beat us at our own game which they did. And, they played very good football. We can learn from them.''

As far as the future is concerned, Tompkins says he has an open mind about getting involved again in inter-county management. He has resisted approaches from a number of clubs because, he says, it's time to re-charge the battery. All the while, however, he still has the bug.

"Football is my life and I'm not ruling out a return. Someday I'll be back."