Bedford push London Irish all the way but miss out
BEDFORD gave title favourites London Irish their first scare in the Championship marathon.
Irish needed a late try from substitute flanker Max Northcote-Green to overcome feisty opponents who led 23-22 going into the final quarter.
The ex-Bath forward forced his way over in an impressive appearance that gave Irish some much needed late vim.
Backed up by a penalty in the 60th minute from flyhalf Tommy Bell, Irish retained their 100 per cent record after three games since relegation.
Irish’s director of rugby Nick Kennedy congratulated his team on keeping their nerve after a Bedford revival had regained them the lead after they were 22-11 down six minutes into the second half.
Kennedy said: “I am really pleased with the character we showed in closing the game out.”
Kennedy added that Irish were prepared for the “slog” of the Championship. “We have prepared all pre-season for it and are ready.”
Irish will have to become used to how Bedford laid on an old fashioned ‘cup tie’ welcome. And for good chunks of the game the home team matched the visitors except in the scrum where Ben Franks showed his New Zealand World Cup class.
After an early penalty from Bell, following a scrum offence, Irish did not win another penalty until the 32nd minute when Bedford flanker Josh Buggea was sin binned for a tripping offence.
Bedford benefitted from a run of eight successive penalties and led 11-3 built by hounding Irish into mistakes especially off high kicks.
Myles Dorrian levelled in the 11th minute and a try from Pat Tapley put Bedford clear, the wing scampering clear from his own 22.
Bedford needed another try from their first-half pressure but Irish withstood the forward bombardment to concede only a further penalty from Dorrian while full-back Elliot Clement-Hill failed to land two long-distance attempts.
Irish regrouped after Buggea was yellow-carded and took control to score two tries in the run up to the break. Franks bustled over from a line-out drive and, in the final minute of the half, centre Johnny Williams speedily ran onto Ben Ransome’s kick ahead. Bell converted.
When Topsy Ojo rounded off an Irish attack in the 46th minute, Irish supporters must have expected a comfortable victory. Bell
converted to put the visitors 22-11 up. However, just like Bedford, who conceded two tries when Buggea was sin binned, Irish also wilted when they had captain David Paice yellow-carded in the 51st.
Helped by the introduction of three substitutes, including the lively Jordan Burns at scrum-half, Bedford fought back through a try from the combative hooker George Edgson and a further score from Tapley. The wing took his try expertly in the right corner after Burns had escaped from a scrum on his own 22 metre line. Substitute flyhalf Jake Sharp added the extras to put Bedford 23-22 up.
Irish then showed their Premiership qualities and a penalty from halfway by Bell put them back in front before Northcote-Green ploughed over in the 77th minute