Ireland goes into Friday night's second Test in the 2008 Toyota International Rules Series at the MCG with a one-point lead over the Australians and while the captain concedes his men can't do much to bridge the fitness gap between the sides, he says they have worked hard on a strategy to upset the home team.
"At this stage we're just fine tuning and working on kick-outs and some more tactical things, but things are going really well and we're looking to build on the foundation that we laid last Friday night," Cavanagh said after the 45-minute workout.
"The Australians, with their superior fitness, were always going to come at us in the fourth quarter last week and it took the bond and spirit that we have in the group to drag us over the line.
"We know it's going to be a lot tougher on Friday night and the Australians are going to come at us flat out on the MCG. We're going to have to step up our game just to compete, but the lads are ready to go."
The spirit in which the first Test, won 45-44 by the Irish at Subiaco, was played has been a talking point after the acrimony of the 2006 series caused the series to be shelved for a year.
Cavanagh said a dinner and a pre-series meeting, in particular, put on by the organisers had helped relations between the two sides a great deal.
"It broke down all the barriers that may have been there beforehand," he said.
"I spoke to Brent Harvey at length about his family and stuff like that and I think we can be competitive and strong on the field, but remain good friends with the Aussie players off it.
"Once we spent a bit of time with the Aussie guys we started to find out that they're actually quite similar to ourselves and you can compare and relate to the same things.
"Whenever this game's played right it's a fantastic thing to be a part of. The Australians are in the same boat as us in that you want to play at the highest level, and to pull on your country's jersey is something special."
Adding to the jovial atmosphere in the Irish camp is the warm Australian spring sun. Like most of his amateur teammates, Cavanagh holds down a full-time job – he's an accountant – and he admitted the weather had been a welcome relief from the northern cold.
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The 2008 Toyota International Rules Series: Australia v Ireland
Second Test – MCG, Melbourne, Friday October 31
Tickets on sale now at ticketmaster.com.au, by calling 1300 136 122 or at a Ticketmaster outlet.
For full coverage of the 2008 series, click here.
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