Pirates put to the sword by unbeaten London Irish
LONDON Irish director of rugby Declan Kidney hailed the spirit of his charges who played with 13 men for nearly 10 minutes of the second half.
Bryce Campbell was sinbinned for a high tackle, before former Pirate Blair Cowan was yellow-carded for disrupting a maul a minute later, which resulted in a penalty try.
“I think it shows there is good spirit in the side,” said Kidney, who guided Ireland to the 2009 Grand Slam.
“When we went down to 13-men, it obviously took a lot of energy out of us, but when the boys came back on and the finishers came off the bench, they brought a lot of energy to the game.
“We know we’re not the greatest team on earth, but we play for one another and I think, in rugby, if we can do that, then it’ll be interesting to see where it can take us.”
Kidney’s men go top with a game in hand, the rearranged fixture at Jersey Reds due to take place next Saturday.
On a day when Topsy Ojo broke the club appearance record, ironically it was the forwards who grabbed the limelight as they set the platform for victory.
The Exiles powered their way to the line on six occasions, Teofilo Paulo, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi, Brendan McKibbin and a double from skipper Josh McNally doing the damage.
Irish went ahead through McNally, the second-row registering the first of his two scores with a neat finish on the back of a driving lineout.
The Exiles profited from the driving line-out on numerous occasions, and the set-piece continues to be Irish’s lethal weapon.
A Will Cargill penalty reduced the deficit moments later, but back came Irish with Paulo dotting down in the corner to extend his side’s lead to 12-3.
With the score poised at 12-8, Irish chalked up their third try of the afternoon, courtesy of debutant Ollie Hassell-Collins. The academy product collected an unselfish Ben Meehan offload to cross in the corner and demonstrate what the next generation of Exiles has to offer.
Irish secured the try bonus point on 33 minutes, a dominant rolling maul presenting Hobbs-Awoyemi with the opportunity to flop over the line. Meehan converted for a 26-8 lead.
The Exiles started the second period brightly, with McKibbin using his
momentum to cross under the posts. Lancastrian back-row Matt Rogerson was the catalyst, charging through the heart of Pirates’ backline, before feeding McKibbin.
Not deterred by the early set-back, Pirates cut the gap to 33-15 with a Kyle Moyle solo effort. The fullback left his opposite number Luke McLean in his wake as he scooted in at the corner. Cargill’s boot reduced the lead to 33-15.
Referee Ian Tempest reduced the Exiles to 13 men, yellow-carding Campbell and Cowan in quick succession. Sandwiched in between, the visitors were awarded a penalty try.
Pirates reduced the margin with the impressive Moyle doubling his tally of tries for the afternoon. Cargill added the extras.
With the last play of the game, McNally ensured maximum spoils for the men in green.
Pirates coach Alan Paver said: “You’re always in with a fighting chance against 13 men, but Irish held their defensive line during that period.”