Eight-try Exiles bring in the bonus by half-time

LONDON Irish forwards coach George Skivington was delighted with his side’s resounding eight-try bonus-point victory at the Madejski.

The Exiles, buoyed by their opening day triumph at rivals Ealing, dominated Nottingham to make it two wins out of two in the Championship.

“I thought the boys executed most of the plan well and it’s a great step in the right direction from the Ealing game,” said Skivington, who skippered Irish in his playing days.

“There’s a few areas we need to sort out – there were a couple of lapses in our defence – but there were some good steals and some great displays.”

A brace from Luke McLean as well as further scores from Ben Meehan, Bryce Campbell, Dave Porecki, Josh McNally, Patric Cilliers and Blair Cowan secured the spoils for Declan Kidney’s men. Man-of-the-match Stephen Myler converted all eight scores to underline his rich pedigree with the boot.

It took the Exiles 13 minutes to register the first score, Meehan sniping his way to the line after excellent build-up play from the dominant pack.

Shane O’Leary kicked a penalty to reduce the arrears to 7-3 USA centre Campbell doubled the Exiles’ tally with Myler, again converting.

Billy Robinson finishedoff a defence-splitting move to hit back for Nottingham but Porecki and McNally sealed the Exiles’ try bonus-point just before the break.

Irish came back out all guns blazing with former Green and Whites man Cilliers crossing almost immediately. Myler’s conversion from an acute angle made it 35-8 and with

the hour mark looming McLean went over for the first of his two scores.

Irish’s dominance at the scrum came to the fore again on 63 minutes when Cowan crossed the line.

Nottingham, to their credit, never gave up and scintillating attack play from winger David Williams turning defence into attack from his own try line. Three phases later Williams squeezed in at the corner for a richly deserved score and O’Leary nailed the conversion to cut the gap to 47-15.

On 72 minutes McLean etched himself a double on the score sheet, Brendan McKibbin taking the blindside option to feed the Azzurri winger. Alex Goble crossed the line in the dying embers of the game, but the day belonged to Irish.

Nottingham head coach Neil Fowkes said: London Irish are a very strong team and we struggled with their scrum power.”