For all its excitement, the first 18 nites of the second half had produced a lot of wretchedly bad play by both sides. Then, none too soon, England began to find themselves again, and Ireland too. The passing was not convincing, but Nicholson and Sever never failed to run strongly, and it was Giles at his best who brought a try between the posts by Bolton. Giles slipped away and reached the full-back before giving his lone supporter a clear run in. Of course, Parker did the rest. Ireland once more fought back, though for a while they had to do without Mc-Mahon, who had been shaken up in standing up to one of Sever's charges. Fortune favoured the brave, however, when a wild fly-kick by Bailey hit a goal-post and completely confounded Parker. Bailey himself followed up and Crowe was able to make the try into a goal. This did rather rouse England, the forwards at any rate, and it was not long before Prescott had scored in the right-hand corner. Only the strong wind defeated Parker's accurate kick goal. An Irish forward try, the result of a kick across field that had Parker in trouble, followed when Mayne got over from a line-out and the cheering grew uproarious when, a counter-rush having driven England back—and incidentally laid out Gil brought a try by Daly=actually a fourth try by a routed side! The g that sent Daly over was swift well-timed, but almost certainly forward in at least one case. Finally, another attempt at passing by Ireland brought an interception by Nicholson, who ran some way, punted past the full-back; and won the race for the fear, picked up a loose a-go, and then an Irish kick into their opponents' "25" merely led to a mighty reply by Reynolds, whose kick actually rolled dead. All this at least showed the power of the wind, It also lead to an English rush up to the line, a brave but futile stop by Crowe, and then a typical try by Giles—an aggravate ingly easy slip over from the ensue ing scramble. Parker added the goal points and England were five points up in a few minutes.
Some exciting cut and thrust followed, Cromey turned an Irish heel to account by getting in a run and punt ahead which rolled dead with Daly in hot pursuit, At the other end of the field Daly had to dive for the ball to defeat aw English rush, The first penalty decision brought touch in the English "25." The sec-and, taken by Parker from 35 yards' range in front of the posts, raised the English lead to eight points. Ireland struck back with a breakaway by the two centres, Bailey and McMahon, the latter of whom sent Lyttle racing for the line. It was a clear chance but Unwin and several others got back in time.. Lyttle was not quite fast enough, England's growing advantage was now balked repeatedly by penalty decisions and, following a lot of loose kicking and a drop at goal by Sever, which fell there suddenly in the last 10 minutes of the half.
It opened with some quick spoiling that had the Irish backs in trouble dangerously near to their own goal-posts. A quick heel and a short pass by Giles encouraged Rey-naids to try a hurried drop at goal with the left foot, Ireland breathed again when the ball rebounded from a post, but not for long. In spite of more penalties and inaccurate passing, England kept up a hard attack, Sever picked up on the run and had another go, and then came Marshall's first great dash for the line, This missed by inches in the left-hand corner, but from the next ball, Parker thereupon rubbed it in for the last time.
The teams were:—
IRELAND:—P. Crowe (Blackrock), back; M. J. Daly (Halequins), A. H Bailey (University College, Dublin), L. B. McMahon (Blackrock). and V. J Lyttle (Bedford and Belfast Collegians), three-quarter backs; G. E. Cromey (Queen's University, Belfast) and G. J Morgan (Old Belvedere) (captain), halfbacks; E. Ryan (Dolphin), C. R. A Graves (Wanderers), D, ' O'Loughlin (University College, Cork). R. B. Mayne (Queen's University, Belfast), S. Walker (nstonians), R. Alexander ' (Roy: Uster Consiabulary gnd North, of Tres land), J, W, S, Irwin (North of Irelan and J. Megaw (Richmond and Instonians), forwards.
ENGLAND:—G. W. Parker, (Blackheath), back; E. J. Ùnwin (The Army and Rosslyn' Park), B. E. Nicholson (Harlequins). Cranmer. (Moseley) (captain), and H, S. Sever (Sale), three-quarter backs; F. J. Reynolds (The Army and Old' Cranieighans) and J. L Giles (Coventry), half-backs; R. J. Longland (Northampton), H. B. Tofi (Waterloo), R E. Prescott (Harlequins), R. M. Marshall (Oxford University), T. ' F. Huskisson (Old Merchant "Taylors); W. H. Weston (Northampton), D. L. K. Milman (Bedford) and R. Bolton" (Harlequins), for-Referee: J. H. Ireland (Scotland)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.