Fleets of taxis pulling up in Fleet Street, legions of rugby fans being dropped off at the Temple Bar corner, ready for a hard weekend's supporting.
Joseph Smedley from Norfolk was pulling a light-looking overnight bag out of his taxi before pointing excitedly at the Palace bar. "That's the place we were last year. Best Guinness in the world there," he exclaims before adding that he's here with his brother until tomorrow.
Yesterday afternoon their plans were to "get beered" before the match this afternoon at Lansdowne Road.
The last time the England team played Ireland was two years ago, when they beat the gentlemen in green by a painful 46-6.
Oxford man Colm Weston, however, who was with 12 friends in Buskers bar further down Fleet Street, feels Ireland have a good chance of winning today's encounter.
"England's a bit out of sorts at the moment. Ireland are very strong and they're better at coping with windy weather," he says. "We've come every second year for the past eight years," his friend Tim Asker says. "We all love Dublin."
When asked if perhaps four o'clock in the afternoon, the day before the day of reckoning, was a bit early to be downing pints of black, fellow troubadour Gary Smith tells that they've been in Dublin since 8 a.m. and they've waited "long enough".
Younger fans occupy the other side of the bar. Dean Hadley (22), is from Greenwich. "We've been here since yesterday and we're gonna be here til Monday. Yeah it's a long time, but we'll be all right." "The match is going to be great," Richard Hadley says. "We haven't got tickets but we came over to watch it in an Irish pub. I think England are going to win - by a bum's cheek. The Irish hooker Keith Wood is a natural leader, though. He really takes it to the opposition, gets in their face."
Some 60,000 fans will have travelled here from England to watch the match by the time it kicks off at the unusually late hour of 4 p.m.
Many have come without tickets which, with a face value of £32, were said to be changing hands at prices yesterday of up to £400.
Cheering Ireland on will be 12-ear-old Alastair Hall from Omagh. He had his right leg amputated from the knee after the bombing last August.
Daniel White from London will also be cheering on Ireland. He's in Busker's with other Englishmen but he's there to serve up the drink.
"I left England eight years ago and I've been all over. I think it's best policy just to cheer for wherever you're going to be living after the fans have gone home."
