Rice and Grealish score as England beat Ireland – Nations League

It was also a sign of what might have been as former Ireland recruits Declan Rice and Jack Grealish delivered the killer blows for the Three Lions.

The first competitive game between the two nations in 33 years was over after 26 minutes when England took control with goals from Rice and Grealish. There was added pain in the fact Grealish’s goal was set up by Rice.

Had the pair stayed loyal to the green shirt, an Ireland side would obviously be a better one. With their non-availability, quality options for the new boss Heimir Hallgrimsson are severely limited.

Ireland fans can moan about their acts of apostasy and why Rice and Grealish are no longer in the FAI’s set-up following their defections to the FA, but there was nothing to argue about in terms of the result, with the terrifying gulf in class between the two nations.

Tests ahead at home to Greece (next week), then away to Finland and Greece (again) next month will give a clearer picture of where Ireland stand in the post-Kenny era. But a new manager has not ushered in new hope as, in terms of battling with Europe’s elite nations, the Republic are way, way off.

For large parts, this was not a match, more a mismatch. While the focus will be on Rice and Grealish, others in white shirts were more impressive: Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon gave Séamus Coleman a torrid time, Kobbie Mainoo was allowed to breeze around the Dublin 4 venue unimpeded and the array of passing from Trent Alexander-Arnold alone was better than the movement from the entire Irish side.

And yet as the game kicked off in the Saturday sun, with thousands of fans left outside due to ticketing issues, there was hope, the rendition of Amhrán na bhFiann was as rousing as anything heard in Lansdowne Road for a decade.

Hallgrímsson had promised to make his Ireland side tougher to beat, with calls for a “bastard” to emerge and shake up the somnambulant side he inherited. And in the opening moments there did seem to be a bit of bite about Ireland, tackles flying in and the concession of a corner by England as early as the third minute.

It was the home side who had the first opportunity, Jayson Molumby setting up Sammie Szmodics for his chance. That’s as good as it got as England were ahead within seconds of that missed opportunity.

Gordon was the architect of the move as Caoimhín Kelleher did well to deny Harry Kane, but Rice had the alertness and vision to pick up on the rebound and fire home, though he opted not to celebrate in the ground where he won his last Ireland cap, against the USA in 2018.

Kelleher was there again to deny Kane on 18 minutes after more good work by the sublime Gordon and on 26 minutes Ireland were simply cut open by a brilliant passing move, instigated by Alexander-Arnold. Rice was heavily involved as he played in the assist for Grealish to score with far too much ease.

It was grim, grim stuff for the rest of the first half as far as Ireland were concerned, England in almost total control. The rare responses from Ireland were painfully short on quality.

On 33 minutes, Adam Idah should really have done better with a header from an Ogbene cross, while just before the half-time whistle, Ogbene did well to outpace Mainoo on the left, but Ogbene’s panicked cross went nowhere.

There was a flurry of activity from the home team around the hour mark, Ireland marginally brighter with a tactical switch, having a tighter shape and fresh legs from subs Jason Knight and Jake O’Brien.

Szmodics was trying to put his own stamp on the game and was not far off with a shot on 59 minutes, a good move started by a clever cross-field ball from Dara O’Shea with an assist to Szmodics from Ogbene.

Just after that, the Ipswich duo combined again to set up Molumby, but while the approach play was good, the finish was not; Molumby, with time and space to shoot, but no accuracy.

By the 75-minute mark, those Irish fans with long journeys home ahead of them began to make sneaky exits, confident no Ireland revival was in sight, though there was a debut for Leicester City man Kasey McAteer. England, the game never in doubt, tipped their hat to the future with sub appearances for the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Angel Gomes and Eberechi Eze.

Crystal Palace player Eze with a shot close to the final whistle and then a Bukayo Saka effort saved by Kelleher, before – at last – an end to what was a difficult watch for home fans in the 50,359 crowd.