Reliving My Youth and Relishing in Tries

Anyway, I digress…. I returned to the South Stand last night, complete once again with an infamous Hobbit Pint of AG in hope that Irish would be able to put on a good show. With the team we had named, that hope was high but as an Irish fan of twenty years now, I've learned that all too often that hope could easily be dashed! Throw into the mix that a certain K Dickson was on whistle duties and you have a recipe for gnarled fingernails and shattered dreams.

The game started well enough with Irish on top in most facets. It took a solid 15 minutes for the opening score to come with Kyle Rowe finding himself with plenty of space out wide after a series of reset and penalty scrums to dot down (in slightly controversial circumstances - was it grounded? Definitely!). Paddy was on the money from the off tonight ultimately converting all six tries, a good clutch of them from the touch line.

True to form though, despite being 0-7 up, Irish looked to decide that defence was now optional and Falcons nicked one back through Sean Robinson more or less under the posts following some dangerous looking running from Joel Hodgson. Seven all then and game on.

The first real turning point in the game came as Robinson was shown yellow for a cynical looking off-feet, off-side tap down of a Rona offload. Yet more scrums followed in front of the Falcons' posts before, almost inevitably, Big Albert crashed over for the second Irish five-pointer.

7-14 and Irish continued to capitalise on the missing half of the Falcons' engine room kicking to the corner to set up the perfect platform for our very own South American mole, the legend Gus Creevy to add yet another to his tally for the season only 5 minutes later.

7-21 and things were starting to look a little like plain sailing. Irish were to wrap up the BP before half time, the Ollie H-C being put into some space after some slick hands through what has to be one of the best 10-12-13 combos in the league.

7-28 and just a couple of minutes to half time. With the clock ticking over to 40, Irish decided to go all, well…London Irish and leak a second try to the Falcon's when all that was needed was to shut up shop and get back in the sheds.

My report of the second half is a little less detailed! One - the double pints of Guinness were starting to take effect, Two - most of the action was happening up the other end of the pitch and Three - it was quite a stodgy third quarter. Falcons came back out hard but Brad Davis has obviously had a word over the oranges and the Irish defence was resolute, soaking up and dismissing every ounce of pressure that Falcons could throw their way.

Irish got back on the scoreboard with their fifth and a try from Curtis Rona before a lot of chopping and changing with subs being run on, Benhard JVR off for an HIA, Phipps and White on the pitch as we had run out of backs, it all got a little chaotic to keep tabs on!

What did get though was the return of Steve Mafi for Simmons which was great to see and Henry Arundell getting a very decent looking 20 minutes in.

Irish had one more try in them with Matt Cornish sealing the day with the sixth score. But the game was not over, Sir still had one more chance to make some headlines, judging that Gigena and Graham should both see red despite (I've subsequently been informed) the advice of the TMO that it should be yellow for some questionable use of the head.

A great win on the road, excellent to be back to winning ways in the league and excellent to be back at Kingston Park. It's well worth the trip Oop North if you can next season!