IRISH PREVAIL: London Irish 18 - 13 Harlequins

Harlequins contrived to lose an eminently winnable encounter with London Irish at the Madejski Stadium by 18 – 13. They did so with a lack of accuracy and a plethora of unforced errors that left their supporters and coaches concerned and disappointed.

The first half was a mediocre affair with a series of unforced errors, turning over of possession and a couple of penalties apiece producing the 6 – 6 interval score.  In between Evans missed a kickable penalty goal and Geraghty tapped and ran one in front of the posts , but the attack was resisted and repelled.

Solid Irish tackling and good line speed prevented Quins from their usual offloading, quick passing game and the harder they tried the greater the failure. With Quins on the attack, an excellent cross field kick bounced awkwardly and left Sam Smith watching the ball go harmlessly into touch five metres from the Irish try line.  A free kick at the subsequent lineout   allowed Quins to opt for a scrum.  But the attempt to convert the position into a try foundered as the scrum produced another penalty and Evans levelled the scores before the half-time whistle.

The second half began and continued in much the same way as the first half.  Evans missed with another kickable penalty goal attempt.  So too did Bottica from a metre inside his own half.   Then two London  Irish tries in three minutes left Harlequins playing catch up.  First, a Quins’ handling error sparked an Irish attack and their forwards finally drove Cowan over for a try that Geraghty converted,

Then as Quins tried to reply and attack they turned over possession and an excellent kick across from Ojo found his left wing with a solitary defender to beat. The try remained unconverted as Irish led 18 – 6 with just over fifteen minutes remaining.

Quins began to attack and were halted by a breakdown, wide out on their left, on the Irish twenty-two.  Suddenly the ball squirted out of the ruck and into undefended space, where Danny Care pounced and trotted under the posts with the ball for a try duly converted by Evans.

Quins went in search of that elusive winning score but error and turnover foiled their efforts. A five metre lineout resulted in the catch and drive being stopped and the ball held off the ground to give Irish the scrum. Another penalty another scrum and another loss of possession left Irish disbelievingly victorious.

The annoying electric advertising boards round the pitch produced the most apposite comment on the proceedings as it proclaimed “Pumping Poo with Panache”.  There was not a  lot of panache about the game, but a good deal of poo.

London Irish T Ojo, M Yarde, F Mulchrone (S  Tagicakibau, 61), E Sheridan, A Lewington, S  Geraghty (M Dorrian, 78), T O’Leary (D Allinson, 66), J Yapp (M Parr, 70), D Paice, L Halavatau (J   Hagan, 63), G Skivington, I Gough (B Evans 61), K  Low (J Sinclair, 3), B Cowan, O Treviranus.

Harlequins M Brown, S Smith (C Walker, 67), M  Hopper, T Casson (rep: B Botica, 26), U Monye, N  Evans, K Dickson (D Care, 48), J Marler (M Lambert, 56), R Buchanan (K Sinckler, 61), W Collier (D Ward, 61), N Easter, G Robson, M Fa’asavalu (G Merrick, 70), C Robshaw (L Wallace, 52), T Guest.