Booth - We were sloppy

Exiles boss confirms Thompstone blow

Last updated: 3rd October 2009  

Booth - We were sloppy

Booth: Room for improvement

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London Irish head coach Toby Booth revealed that wing Adam Thompstone could be set for several weeks on the sidelines after he sustained a suspected dislocated left ankle in their 11-8 victory at Sale.

Thompstone, who notched a hat-trick against Leeds Carnegie earlier in the season, suffered the injury in the early stages of the first half at Edgeley Park.

He was carried off on a stretcher in clear distress and taken straight to hospital, overshadowing a victory which lifted the Exiles to the top of the Guinness Premiership.

Booth said: "We'll get an update pretty soon but it doesn't look good to be honest."

Sailosi Tagicakibau's sixth try of the season ultimately proved the difference in a low-scoring game in the North West on Friday night.

The Samoan touched down in the left corner after a brilliant break from former Sale centre Elvis Seveali'i.

Dangerous

Tagicakibau's score helped Irish into a 11-5 lead, and despite a Nick Macleod penalty for Sale in the second half, Booth's men held on for the points.

Speaking after the match, Booth added: "We were sloppy. I think the conditions dictated it and everyone knows we have done some wet weather training to prepare for these sort of conditions.

"We'll have to be a lot better going forward because on nights like this you need to be a lot more clinical."

Booth paid tribute to in-form Tagicakibau, adding: "That's six tries now and he's getting special attention from teams because they know how dangerous he is.

"But we've got threats all over the field."

Sale - who now face a daunting Heineken Cup clash in Toulouse - could not make their numerical advantage pay and were left with only a losing bonus point to show for their efforts.

Director of rugby Kingsley Jones said: "I'm very disappointed to say the least. We worked hard and defended manfully but London Irish were a lot smarter than us tonight.

"We've got to be better and we've got to be smarter. But it's onwards and upwards and we're not going to hit the panic button or have any crisis meetings just yet because we are only five games in."

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