Ireland wrap up Rules series

Ireland 3-5-6 (39)

Australia 0-4-6 (18)

Ireland wrapped up a 2-0 series victory at Parnell Park, Dublin on Saturday evening in a bizarre but entertaining 2nd test.

Bizarre in the way Ireland were deducted 42 points at the beginning of the third quarter due to a misjudgement by the Irish management when Cora Staunton was sin binned. The home side fired in a replacement in error and with it broke the rules leaving them deducted the 42 points they had on the board when the extra player was introduced at a stage they led 42-8.

The performance from the visitors was much improved from the opening test in Cavan as they asked more question of the Irish girls. However the lack of scoring power was always against them while at the other end Ireland were always capable of picking off the important scores. It was a game were no quarter was given or asked as both sides give it their all in the physical end but it was the skill of the Irish that took centre stage yet again.

Inspired by their player of the tournament Sarah O’Connor, Ireland opened up a 23-0 lead after the opening quarter but Australia had shown massive improvements during the opening twenty minutes. Meath’s Mary Sheridan opened the scoring with an over and the same player fired in a goal after nine minutes. Team captain O’Connor also struck an over and a behind during that period.

The second quarter saw Cora Staunton hit 3 overs while the impressive Mairead Morrissey struck 2 overs as Ireland led 39 – 2 at the interval. The Aussie’s opened the third quarter with Julia Boyle hitting 2 overs. Then came the drama with Cora Staunton seeing yellow and off to the sin bin. Morrissey added an over for the Irish girls but when the Aussie management team called the attentions of the referee’s the clock was stopped.

Irish captain Sarah O'Connor receives the beautifully designed trophy for the International Rules series from president Geraldine Giles.

They had noticed Ireland had sent in an extra player and the punishment been your points are deducted so suddenly from been 42 – 8 ahead Ireland were trailing by 8 points. It all added excitement and the remainder of the game was played at higher tempo as the Irish lifted their game even more and the Aussie’s sensed a victory could be on the cards.

By the end of the third quarter Ireland were back in front leading 19-13 thanks to majors from Sheridan and Staunton. The Mayo star fired in a further major before she was to see yellow yet again and out of the game. Australia’s Katherine Pender saw red for a heavy tackle on Bronagh O’Donnell late on and Ireland eased home to a 39–18 victory and a series victory of 136 points in all.

If Ireland had not had the points deducted they would have won the second test 81-18 with Cora Staunton finishing top scorer over both tests on 40 points and Mary Sheridan next on 35.

The Irish player of the tournament went to team captain Sarah O’Connor who was outstanding in both encounters while Shelley Matcham took the Australian award.

IRELAND: Clodhna O’Connor, Lorraine Muckian, Grainne NiFhlatharta, Anne Marie McDonough, Alma O’Donnell, Bronagh O’Donnell, Sarah O’Connor 0-1-0 (3), Caroline O’Hanlon, Brianne Leahy, Jackie Shiels, Michaela Downey 0-0-1 (1), Christina Heffernan 0-1-0 (3), Sinead Aherne, Mary Sheridan 1-0-2 (8), Dympna O’Brien 0-0-1 (1)

Rest of Panel: Aoibheann Daly, Geraldine Doherty 0-1-0 (3), Patricia Fogarty, Patricia Gleeson, Caoimhe Marley, Mairead Morrissey 0-1-0 (3), Una Carroll, Mary O’Donnell, Bronagh Sheridan 0-0-1 (1), Cora Staunton 2-1-1 (16), Angela Walsh, Rena Buckley, Norita Kelly, Juliette Murphy, Sinead Dooley

AUSTRALIA: Joanne Butland, Jane Clifton, Kerryn Stephens, Belinda Blay, Shannon McFerran, Sarah Hammond, Pia Kilburn, Michelle Drench, Anna McIlroy, Daisey Pearce, Shelley Matcham 0-1-0 (3), Angela Doyle, Renae Campbell, Meg Hutchins, Lydia Padgett 0-01 (1)

Rest of Panel: Anna Hayes, Moana Hope, Emma Hender, Janine Milne, Kathy Zacharopoulos 0-1-0 (3), Julia Boyle 0-2-4 (10), Lauren Tesoriero, Penny Cula Reid, Talei Owen 0-0-1 (1), Katherine Pender

Referee’s: Cony Vardouniotis and Declan Corcoran

What they said

Sarah O’Connor (Ireland captain)

On the deduction of 42 points from the score “these things happen, they took the score off us for having too many players on the field. It was a challenge and we came back and won the game anyway. It give the spectators more excitement”

On the tackling “ we were prepared for it, we had worse in training, Jarlath and the gang had us prepared for it, they hit hard we hit hard, that’s the game”

To be captain was extra special for the Kerry girl “it is a massive honour to be captain, no words can explain what it means to me”

Sean Tilbrook (Australian Coach)

The Australian manager spoke on the massive improvement his side had made from the first test “we went into the first game training the girls a different way, to be more technical, but we were a little overwhelmed on how the game turned out on Tuesday night and how physical it was. We had a real tough training on Thursday and we had no real shots in Tuesday nights game so we put in a lot of hard work and the girls give it their all to put the humiliation behind them and picked up a few injuries and bruises during it the training. The result from the opening game really stung the girls, we are a very sporting country and the girls had to pick it back up and I think they did that tonight”

Jarlath Burns (Ireland manager)

Speaking on the difference between both games “we came into this game not knowing what to expect. I think Australia learned a lot from us and they were giving the ball away much quicker, they were also much more physical, the best thing for the game was probably us been put back to zero, the girls rose their game after that and it made a great last quarter of it”