Dominant Exiles push past Hartpury to stay in pole position
LONDON IRISH extended their lead atop the Championship to five points with a resounding win at Hartpury.
Having not played in the league since defeat at Jersey in early November, with cup games taking over, the Exiles shook off that loss in style.
Declan Kidney’s men led 26-5 at the break with tries from Matt Williams, Ben Meehan, Tom Stephenson and Dave Porecki and further scores after the restart from Topsy
Ojo and Scott Steele sealed a resounding bonus-point success.
“We had to be at our best defensively, which I thought we were,” said head coach Les Kiss.
“We forced them into a kicking battle, which we won, forced them into errors and maintained our dominance in the game.
“It was a good, solid performance.”
The rout began as early as the fifth minute when in-form back Williams skipped beyond two challenges to score.
There was some more work involved in the second try with Ojo’s burst gaining ground before the ball was played through numerous phases with scrum-half Meehan eventually sniping over under the posts.
Stephenson quickly added to the tally, bursting down the wing to dot down in the corner after Luke McLean had breezed through the Hartpury defence.
The hosts got on the scoreboard through Dan Murphy, but Irish had the last laugh in the first half when replacement Dave Porecki flew across the line.
Ojo soon added to the tally in trademark fashion just four minutes into the second half before a late Steele score rounded off a good evening.
“We wanted to put a bit of a statement out after the cup campaign,” said captain Josh McNally.
“We really wanted to come out firing and I thought in the first 40 minutes we came out with some real intent.
“The game died off in the second half but to get five points away from home gives us a bit of breathing room at the top of the league and it’s something we can really be happy with.”
Irish have a week off before hosting Richmond on January 13.
IRISH: McLean, Ojo, Mulchrone, T. Stephenson (Campbell 72), Williams, Myler (Steele 68), Meehan, HobbsAwoyemi (Elrington 68), Matu’u (Porecki 4), Cilliers (Chawatama 68), van der Merwe, Paulo, McNally (c), Gilsenan, Rogerson (Treviranus 61). Tries: Williams (5), Meehan (19), Stephenson (26), Porecki (38), Ojo (44), Steele (79)
Cons: Myler x4 (20,28,40,45)
Yellow card: van der Merwe (33)
HARTPURY: Wilcox, Foley (Henry 45), Leonard, Eves, Seabrook, Leeming, Bolt (Chapman 68), Murphy (Adkins 68), Tanner (Stratford 65), Harden (Flook 50), Quinn (Kelland 68), Linsell (c), Qera (J. Stephenson), Pashley, Grieve. Try: Murphy (34)
Referee: Greg MacDonald
Attendance: 1,531