A RUGBY INTERNATIONAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 77, 2 April 1910, Page 14

A RUGBY INTERNATIONAL.

ENGLAND v. IRELAND. HARD-FOUGHT DRAW. [raoM or, ft own coßnespoKDENT.] LONDON, 18th Fobruary. Nobody who saw tho match between England and Wales in January could have expected* to witness a much harder game foi awhile. But the next match, which England had hoped to win, that against Ireland, proved to bo an even keener tusslo. Until England defeated Wales there was no question of the senior partner recovering tho international trophy, tho Calcutta Cup. It never entorod into the calculation, and the English team which achieved that toat wa»- almost a scratch «ne, picked in a panic at tho eleventh hour, after the Rest of England had conquered in the final trial. Saturday's team against Wales was only slightly altered. Solomon being oat of aption, Hay ward took his . placo in tho three-quarter line, and the Englishmen started in in good heart, under ideal* conditions of weather and ground, to win the match. Within fivo minutes of tho kick-off the Irishmen gave a taste of their quality. True, to tradition, the forwards showod themselves a phalanx of extraordinary power. Fast, clashing, untiring, and unerring, it was quite evident that they would give tho Englishmen tho "go" of their lifetime Thore seemed to bo no limits to their energy. Every time almost they got tho ball from tho scrum and tho 'line-out, and rush after rush they set going. It seemed too formidable to last, and it required all the courage of little Gont and some others of the English side to go down to it and stop tho rtuhes. Gent, at stand off, played a wonderful game. Critics might say ho speculated too much, but he did it so surety that it was justifiod in face of tho only alternative. Tho foot work of tho Irish forwards was so searching that morely going down on tho ball did not always end the argument, and Gent's capacity for finding advantageous touch was invaluable. Now and again tho tall form of Pillman, backed up by Jphns, broke away with tho ball into tho Irish quarters. These two were full of initiative. If they had not kicked so hard and had rallied tho nack round them, tho English backs might have got a ohanoo. But that was just the trouble. The Irish wero a forward team, the English a back team. And the former, if good, commands tho game. Onco or twice the ball went out to tho English three-quirters, Mobbs. Hayward, Birkett, and Chapman, and there wore- some fine bouts of passing, with considerable gain of territory. When i* went to tho Irish backs, on the othe«hand, they failed in speed and precision, and rarely gained ground. Tho full-back (Hinton) was the only one of tho division who really made ground. His touchfinding was wonderful. With a glorious pack of forwards, the. Irish team had one great and tenons < weakness. Their tackling was of the. most) half-hearted, ineffective description. Collaring high and irresolutely, they allowed their men to got away over and over again. It was very bad. It meant that if the Irish forwards had not controlled tho game the English backs would havo scored thirty points. In the Irish team, besides Hamlet, who was always in the front, Smyth, Halpin, and the new man Riordan were,; continually bobbing up, whilo M'lldowie, who was introduced as a "winger," fulfiHed the rolo to good purpose. The* English eight suffered in comparison, but Johns, Chambers, and Morton were successes, _ particularly the Gloucester man, while Pillman, although not allowed the same latitude as against Wales, again justified his presence. Tho backs on both sides were mainly occupied in defence. Given equal chances, probably those in white would have proved the moro dangerous set. But they were not allowed many chances. Chapman made one or two dashing efforts, onco running through finely, while Birkett was also responsible for tho initiation of attacking movements. These were easily the best of tho homo "threes." Mobbs # played a fine game, but was injured in the seoond spell, and eventually had to retire from tho field. The game was without any score on either side. Onco or twice both tho Irish and tho Whites looked Hko scoring, but the defence was very stubborn and determined. It seemed like tho old days again to witness a shot at goal from the fiejd. It was close to half-time when Lloyd, ono of the Iriqh halves, got the balf from the line-out in an excellent' position and had a pot. Pillman's retirement from the English pack to replace Mobbs at three-quarters wan successful enough except for the weakening of tho forwards, who did remarkably woll in holding their own at the end of ! the game.