Expectations of a good display by the Irishmen and even hopes of making a break in the long line of defeats, brought a big crowd to Dalymount Park, Dublin, on Saturday for the England v. Ireland international, a large number journeying from the North on the special excursion train. The changes on the Irish eleven made the prospects rather less hopeful than they appeared to be in relation to the original selction: but, taking into account the performance of last year, the team which took the field was regarded as capable of giving a good account of itself, even against the unusually powerful English combination. In spite of the heavy rain, the ground at Cabra was in capital order, and the afternoon turning out brillinatly fine, all conditions favoured a good match.
   In characteristic fashion the Irishmen started at a cracking pace, the forwards during the opening stages pressing the English defence very hard, after some strenuous midfield play. The first corner kick of the match was taken by the Irish, but was wasted, and the famous Sunderland wing—Mordue and Holley—gave the Irish defence a taste of their quality during the next few minutes. Mordue turned in a dangerous centre, which Val Harris diverted behind, and the result of the flag kick was to leave Freeman in possession, but he was worried off the ball by Burnison and Harris, playing a steady and clever game, let his forwards away again. Lacey showed up well, but Pennington and Crompton checked his raiding, and a well-judged place by Brittleton brought about England's first goal after twelve minutes' play. Holley drew the defence, and passed swiftly back to Fleming, the Swindon sharpshooter justifying his reputation by beating Scott with a fine drive, which passed in close to the post. In the succeeding exchanges Halligan and Lacey did some clever things, while Hamill was also a source of trouble to the English back division, but the Evertonian and the two ex-Belfast Celts were pretty well looked after by the heavy and powerful English defenders. After a corner kick had been taken at each end, M'Auley raised the hopes of the crowd by taking up a pass of Lacey's, but he ran through in place of shooting, and Hardy gathered the ball almost from his feet. A fast rocket shot from Holley brought further disaster to Ireland, the ball glancing off M'Cann into the net. With two goals against them in the first twenty minutes, there did not appear to be much prospect of Ireland achieving any success, and when a sustained and eager attack, in which M'Auley and Thompson particpated, failed to make any impression on the defence, the enthusiasm of the spectators began to ebb. The Irishmen stuck at it, however, very gamely, and hardy is to be complimented on a clearance from Lacey, whilst Thompson's work on the wing was very good. M'Auley outmanœuvred Pennington, and crosse dout to Thompson, who returned into the goal mouth, and Hamill, taking the ball 'on the fly,' shot hard in. Pennington, who had gone far back, kicked out, but the refree gave a goal, and it was apparently a legitimate and smartly secured point. For a considerable period after this the game was very fast and well contested, and Hardy had two difficult shots to deal with from Thompson and M'Auley, while Scott's charge narrowly escaped from a drive of Mordue's. Nearing half-time Fleming secured a pass from Freeman, and dashing in by himself, rattled up a third goal.
   Crompton and Wedlock checked a series of raiding attacks by Thompson and Halligan in the early part of the second half. Play had only been resumed about five minutes when Scot, running out to intercept a centre from Holley, failed to get the ball, and Freeman scored an easy goal. The Irish attack was very ragged, and when Thompson sustained an injury which necessitated his being taken off the field it was seen the long list of English victories was going to be further extended. The Bradford City winger was able to resume, but there was no comparison between the two sets of forwards at this stage of the game; and the superiority of the Englishmen was emphasised when Freeman put in the fifth goal. Hardy, however, had to deal with shots from Hamill and Halligan; but the Englishmen had all the play from this to the end. M'Auley once looked like getting in, but he was taken down by Wedlock; and Scott neatly turned away a trying centre from Simpson. Harris, Halligan, and Lacey were all striving hard, but their play was scarcely so effective as it might have been, and when Simpson made the English goals total half a dozen all the interest was gone from a game which turned out disappointingly one-sided. At the end the Irish team were played out; while the Englishmen slowed down; and the last quarter of an hour's play was tame and uninteresting.
   

...the game was played under excellent conditions before about 15,000 people.
Ireland had the misfortune to lose Thompson, who was injured early in the second half, and they were completely outplayed to the finish.
...the Irish backs could not withstand the dashing attacks of the English front line, in which Fleming played a brilliant game throughout.