Ireland goalkeeper Paddy O'Rourke says the new kick-out rule won't affect Ireland in Saturday's International Rules Test.

The change to the rules dictates that kick-outs must travel at least 45 metres, which would appear to play into the hands of the more aerially-adept Aussies. But O'Rourke says it's not an issue.

"I don't think it will affect our side of things," the Meath man told The Irish Times. "Even looking back on kick-outs last year, very few of them went inside the 45. It's about getting it to a place where you have a 75% or more chance of getting the ball.

"Obviously they're going to be a lot bigger and they'll probably go zonal so we'll have to be clever with placement. If they push up and are standing zonal, five or 10 metres on the midfield side of the 45, it's going to make it very difficult.

"We've been working on it and it's not like they're springing the rule on us, we've been working on it for the last two months and we've plans in place."

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