Strange home win for Irish

London Irish 24-22 Bristol

Guinness Premiership, Madejski Stadium, Saturday September 24, KO 3.00pm

A late penalty miss from Jason Strange condemned Bristol to a second successive Premiership defeat, as London Irish crept to a 24-22 victory at the Madejski stadium.

Irish continued to play their new brand of open running rugby, and they appeared to have comfortably seen off the challenge of the Premiership newcomers, thanks to a brace of tries from Paul Hodgson.

However, a late rally saw Bristol get themselves into a winning position, only for Strange's last gasp 50-yard penalty to fall agonisingly short.

The game got off to a slow start, with the most notable moment of the opening period being an injury to Scott Staniforth, who felt the force of Samoan hardman Brian Lima.

The tackle was symbolic of the workmanlike performance that the visitors produced throughout the afternoon, with their forwards providing much of their initial threat.

However, Irish began to slip into their more attractive style on the half-hour mark, and they were rewarded with a quite superb score.

Inevitably it was Mike Catt at the source of a move that began inside the Exiles' 22, moving out to Justin Bishop on the wing before Hodgson emerged to convert.

Five minutes later, the scrum half repeated the dose, although Bristol only had themselves to blame as a lapse in concentration allowed for an easy score.

The second half became a tenser affair as Irish looked to keep their opponents at arm's length, and they managed the task comfortably until the sin-binning of Olivier Magne for elbowing.

Bristol suddenly gained the initiative and Lima pounced to make the match a two-point ball game.

However, Strange could not convert the tough match-winning chance, and Irish were able to celebrate their first home league win in seven matches.

London Irish: (21) 24

Tries: Hodgson 2

Cons: Everitt

Pens: Everitt 3

Drops: Everitt

 

Bristol: (9) 22

Tries: Lima

Cons: Strange

Pens: Strange 5

 

By Ben Blackmore  

Strange home win for Irish

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