Exiles enjoy winning start to cup campaign
Hartpury College 7 London Irish 35
LONDON IRISH overcame difficult conditions to get their cup campaign off to a winning start at Hartpury.
The heavens opened just before kick-off in Gloucestershire making handling difficult during the first-half, but the Exiles did lead
21-7 at the break thanks to two
Saia Fainga’a tries and a Brendan McKibbin score.
Conditions improved after the restart and Irish pulled clear to win 35-7 with Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi and Tom Fowlie adding to the score with Stephen Myler kicking over all five conversions.
“I wouldn’t say it was particularly enjoyable,” said fly-half Myler.
“Conditions took a turn for the worse just as we were running out for kick-off. We dealt with it pretty well.
“We were pretty clinical once we got into their 22. It was always going to be a bit of a battle with the slippy ball.
“But I think we navigated our way around the game pretty well.”
Declan Kidney shuffled his pack after the first defeat of the season at Jersey last weekend. There were 11 changes in all with Napolioni Nalaga returning from injury for the first time in almost a year while Theo Brophy Clews, Lovejoy Chawatama and Max NorthcoteGreen all earned rare starts.
Despite the heavy rain, Irish got their noses in front early on through a trademark line-out drive before Fainga’a flopped over.
But the scores were levelled midway through the half when Irish lost the ball and Hartpury broke with Sam Leeming chasing down a long kick to score under the posts.
However, back came the visitors with two quick scores before halftime with Fainga’a going over again in similar fashion to his first before captain McKibbin sniped over.
It took until the hour mark for the next score. With the pack refreshed from the bench, one of the men who remained on the field in Hobbs-Awoyemi left a series of defenders in his wake to cross the whitewash.
And the win was sealed in the final play of the match when Fowlie found a gap to score.
“It was a poor result for us last week and we wanted to right that wrong,” said Myler.
“There were lads who came into the team today who have been chomping at the bit to play and I thought they made a good account of themselves.
“We’ve just got to keep the momentum now. No matter what competition it is we want to win and we want to keep improving.”
Irish host Cornish Pirates in their second group game on Sunday (3pm).
LONDON IRISH: Tonks, Hassell-Collins (Williams 68), Fowlie, Brophy Clews
(Atkins 68), Nalaga, Myler, McKibbin (c) (Steele 65), Hobbs-Awoyemi, Fainga’a (Porecki 60), Chawatama (Hoskins 60), Maddison (Cooke 70), De Chaves, Gilsenan (Schatz 58), Northcote-Green, Rogerson. Tries: Fainga’a x2 (4,32), McKibbin (38), Hobbs-Awoyemi (60), Fowlie (80)
Cons: Myler x5 (4,32,39,60,80)
HARTPURY: Johnson, Smith, Reeves, Edwards, Sheldon, Leeming, Cochrane, Flook, Stratford, Harden, Hawkins, Lindell, Batley, Pashley, Wilson.
Reps: Crane, Merrey, Gibson, Butler, Graham, Chamberlain, Venner.
Try: Cochrane (21)
Con: Leeming (21)
Referee: Neil Chivers
Attendance: 705