Irish well beaten

Edinburgh 50 London Irish 20

TRIES just before and after half-time proved costly for London Irish as they were well beaten at Edinburgh.

Exiles pulled the scores back to 12-10 behind when Ben Ransom’s 31st minute try was converted, but Edinburgh scored twice before the break and twice again shortly afterwards to take the game away from the visitors.

Mike Coman and Ben Meehan scored late consolation tries, but Irish slip to third in the pool at the halfway mark.

The venue for the match was changed at the last minute due to freezing temperatures at Myreside so the game moved to Murrayfield, which survived due to undersoil heating.

Irish face a decisive clash with reigning Challenge Cup champions Stade Francais at Madejski Stadium on Saturday (3pm).

The Exiles are two points behind Stade and have lost each of their last seven games, but their last win was in this reverse fixture in Paris back in October.

LONDON IRISH: Tonks, Ransom, Fowlie, J. Williams, Loader, Bell, Steele, Reid, Fainga’a, Saulo, Lloyd, De Chaves (c), Cooke, Northcote-Green, Lomidze.

Reps: Woolstencroft, Elrington, Chawatama, Basham, Coman, Meehan, Brophy Clews, M. Williams.

Tries: Ransom (31), Coman (57), Meehan (79)

Con: Tonks (32) Pen: Bell (6)

Yellow card: Tonks (66)

EDINBURGH: Kinghorn, Hoyland, Dean, Burleigh, Graham, van der Walt, Hidalgo-Clyne, Marfo, McInally (c), McCallum, Toolis, Gilchrist, Bradbury, Watson, Mata.

Reps: Cochrane, Sutherland, Shields, Carmichael, Ritchie, Kennedy, Fife, Rasolea.

Tries: McInally (9), Kinghorn (27), Burleigh x2 (34,36), Hidalgo-Clyne (50), Graham (53), Rasolea (69), Kennedy (80) Cons: van der Walt x3 (28,35,37), Kinghorn x2 (70,80) Yellow card: Sutherland (19)

Referee: Sean Gallagher

Attendance: 3,560