London Irish coach Toby Booth cut a delighted figure after watching his side dismantle Gloucester with a crushing 42-12 win.
Irish chief heaps praise on players
London Irish coach Toby Booth cut a delighted figure after watching his side dismantle Gloucester with a crushing 42-12 victory at the Madejski Stadium.
It was a tenth straight win in all competitions for the Exiles and pleasingly for Booth his side also secured a bonus point after running in four tries in a sparkling display.
"You have to be very good to get a four-try bonus point against quality opposition and the Premiership is stacked with quality opposition, no more so than Gloucester," the Irish chief stated.
"This is where they end up year in and year out and, as I've said, being top of the league in December counts for absolutely nothing. But, in relation to the performance, I'm pleased with that and delighted with the outcome.
"Sale have gone 30 games or something like that and got something out of the game. If you are a competitive side and, no matter where the Gloucesters, Leicesters and Wasps have been in the years, you have to get something out of a game if it's one point, four points or five."
However, Booth warned his in-form side may yet be victims of their own success as they go for glory on both the domestic and European fronts.
"We won't know if we can stay there until it comes around," he added. "Where London Irish have probably wavered is trying to fight on too many fronts at one time.
"It seems we may be quite good in the Premiership or the Heineken Cup, where we were last year."
Ryan realistic
Gloucester supremo Dean Ryan conceded his side had been comprehensively outplayed and warned they would need to improve significantly ahead of next week's West Country showdown with Bristol.
"We were significantly second best in most parts of the game," Ryan declared. "I thought we were poor and lacked energy.
"We got beaten in the kicking contest in the first 40 minutes which, basically, structured the game.
"We maybe had one or two set-pieces in their half as a result of losing that kicking contest and, at the same time, Delon Armitage jumped up and scored to keep us under massive pressure.
"When you have got to chase from points down, it is difficult. Every contest we entered, we lost. We were so far behind that we had to play a game which was not conducive to getting a result.
"The challenge (for Irish) is that it (the Premiership) is not won on a day in December.
"I think there are key attributes to their game. (Peter) Hewat gives them massive composure and there are four or five guys who are great individuals.
"Whether that can cut across nine months and be sustained remains to be seen."
