There won’t be any problems getting the Irish up to watch the second test on Saturday.
Aidan O’Shea is predicting that there will be more ex-Pats in Perth roaring them on during the second test of the International Rules than there will be Aussies but, even back home, the country’s interest is now peaked.
How could it not be? Not only is this the deciding game with just 10 points between them – you’re talking a goal, an over and one behind – and not only is it on at a reasonable hour at 8.45am, but Michael Murphy and Conor McManus are playing on the same team and they’re running riot.
The Ulster pair hit 44 of Ireland’s 53 points between during the first test – McManus putting the ball between the posts seven times and his Donegal ally drilling home the visitors’ only goal of the game.
Amassing the 10 points needed to get back into this 80-minute clash is not a problem for them and their national captain Aidan O’Shea is raving about the two of them.
The Mayo man spoke with authority ahead of the second test and he admitted that the Irish camp know where their areas of improvement need to be ahead of Saturday’s game.
“I think the boys were genuinely disappointed after the game and that’s a positive, to be honest,” O’Shea said.
“There’s something wrong if boys weren’t disappointed.
“We put ourselves in a decent position, going 10 points up, and then a 20-point swing towards the end of the game… it’s disappointing.”
But he also knows they can reap rewards with how the hosts approach the game.
“The way they attack and leave [Brendon] Goddard back on one of our forwards, we didn’t really exploit it to the extent that we could have,” O’Shea said.
“Don’t get me wrong, we got some good scores out of it but it is risk-reward for them and, with a bit of hindsight, we know that option is going to be there to get the ball in earlier.
“We have Conor and Murphy going really, really well having scored 50-odd points between them. We know there’s danger in there.”
Aidan O’Shea – International Rules Series from Sportsfile on Vimeo.
