Pace the key for Ireland as Test heads for sell-out

Tomorrow night’s International Rules Test between Australia and Ireland at Patersons Stadium is on course to sell out as ticket sales climbed past 40,000 today.

AFL spokesman Patrick Keane confirmed there were just a handful of tickets left for the Test, which is regarded as critical to the future of the International Rules concept because of the one-sided nature of recent clashes involving second-rate Australian line ups.

Ireland coach Paul Earley declared his team fit and ready to go and in particular read for any physical approach his team might face from the Australians.

“Everyone is fully fit and they have trained well and on a positive note we have had no injuries,” he said.

“Since this series inception it has always been about Ireland’s best playing against Australia’s best. It is part of the challenge the guys look forward to, testing themselves against the best that Australia can put out.

"This year, obviously, with an All-Australian team, it is something that is a great challenge and something the guys are looking forward to. There is no sense of intimidation or anything like that, it is just a great challenge.”

Earley promised a fast game.

“Both sets of teams are quick and very skilful," he said. "I think it is going to be quick. We will try and use the kicking skills to move the ball quickly. We did that last year and we will try and do that again. When both teams have had their best players in the past the games have been played at ferocious pace.”

Australian counterpart Alastair Clarkson has a team at his disposal with an accent on class rather than pace but said his team’s speed of mind and decision making would hold it in good stead.

He said Ireland’s edge in recent series had been about calibre of players that Australia had put on the park.

“Perhaps the depth of talent in our group wasn’t quite there compared to a side like this year’s, for instance," he said. "We would hope that would mean that we are a much more competitive unit in this particular series and only time will tell if that is the case.”

“There is another element of speed in terms of speed of decision making and speed of lateral movement.

“We think we have got a squad that particularly in those two areas is absolutely first class. We think we have got some good speed in the squad without a doubt. With the quality of players in the squad it is not so much about the speed of their legs, it is the speed of their mind.”