The same old story for Rules series

WE have been down this road before — many times in fact, since the beginning of the experiment in 1984.

Then, Australia played Ireland in the first test under the compromise rules in Pairc Ui Chaoimh and their heavy-handed style posed questions about its future.

Twenty-two years later, the official word from the GAA is that it’s ‘make-or break’. Again.

Last year many were outraged by the incident involving the joint Australian captain Craig Johnson. In essence he ‘took out’ two Irish players, Philip Jordan and Matty Forde. And Anthony Lynch was also targeted — all in the one incident.

It was not a one off. The previous week in Perth, Tom Kelly was the victim of a dangerous high tackle. The Australian coach Kevin Sheedy took issue with the offending player for offering a public apology.

The 1984 test in Cork, the only international to be played outside Croke Park until Pearse Stadium was chosen for this evening’s game under lights, was memorable for one particular incident.

Meath star Mick Lyons was knocked unconscious when he was hit by a big Australian forward and had to be taken off on a stretcher while the approach of some of the visiting players infuriated the Irish management.

The second test in Croke Park featured a number of free-for-alls and this had the effect of increasing the crowd for the third test, which was another bruising affair (and saw three players dismissed). Former Dublin star Barney Rock suffered a broken nose in the course of scoring a goal.

When Ireland toured Australia for the first time, in 1986, the Australians were even more physical, leading to then President Mick Loftus threatening to call off the tour.

Five players (two Irish, Tom Spillane and Pat O’Byrne) were sent off in the course of the game.

While accepting that the Irish players were not blameless, which was certainly true, Dr Loftus said that things which happened in the game went beyond the bounds of sport.

“If that is the price we have to pay, we can do without these games,’’ he added.

It was during this series that the (controversial) Australian manager John Todd described the Irish players as ‘wimps’. Todd was reported to have told his players to give away ‘professional fouls’ to stop the more skilful Irish players.

Pat Spillane famously described the 1984 games ‘as a test of thuggery,’ expressing a view which has been repeated on a regular basis ever since.

And on the Irish side, players regularly became frustrated when tackled rugby-style when in possession, something alien to their own game.

However, this only led to trouble when players from both sides became involved.

Under the reign of Colm O’Rourke (hugely successful in being the first manager to preside over winning series at home and away), experience taught players the importance of supporting each other.

It’s only when individual players exceed the norms of what would be described as acceptable levels of aggressive play — as Chris Johnson did last year — that people on the GAA side have tended to knock the game and raise questions about continuing the link with the AFL.

Played correctly, the speed of movement, the high catching and the rapidity of scoring, makes the game hugely attractive to watch, and not just to GAA followers but to a broad range of sports followers. Not quite what one AFL official once described as ‘space age football’, but a real spectacle nonetheless when played in the right spirit.