Paddy Lennon reports from Madejski Stadium.
For the second week in succession all London Irish had to show for a brave second half performance was a bonus point for finishing within seven points of Bath. Trailing the visitors by 17-5 at half-time, the Exiles had left themselves with a lot to do in the second period, as it turned out too much to do.
The match was hallmarked by poor goal kicking by both teams – a total of ten kicks at goal went astray, six for Irish and four forBath. The 17 points that the Exiles missed proved costly.
An immaculate playing surface combined with a beautiful, warm and sunny afternoon to provide ideal conditions for the match.
From kick-off Bath appeared sharp as they took the game to Irish. An early brace of lineouts went the way of the team throwing-in. The visitors were awarded their first kickable penalty in the fourth minute. Butch James took the kick from the Irish 22 and sent it wide to the home team’s relief.
The South Africa international was to compensate just two minutes later when he sent a long pass to right winger Joe Maddock who drove deep into Irish territory. The Bath forwards repeatedly attacked the Irish try line and were repelled temporarily by brave defence before scrum half Michael Claassens sent a bullet-like pass which James seized and crashed through the defence to score what proved to be Bath’s only try of the game. James missed the easy conversion.
As the half developed it was the former Springbok out half that was having the major impact on the game. His passing and kicking kept his team on the front foot and Irish under pressure.
Irish had a chance to register their first points in the 10th minute but Peter Hewat’s long range penalty from 41 metres out on the right wing bounced off the right upright. Two minutes later a second long range penalty by the full back, this time from the left, also drifted wide.
As the half reached its mid-point the visitors were dominating territory and possession as James pulled the strings to telling effect. Irish were fortunate not to concede a try when referee Perason called back a two man Bath overlap down the right for a penalty. This time James made no mistake and stretched the lead to 8-0. He added another in the 23rd minute as Irish once again fell foul of the referee with another offence at the breakdown.
When James missed his third kick in the 26th minute,Bath’s kicking duties were passed to winger Jack Cuthbert. The 21-year-old was successful with his first penalty in the 28th minute for a 14-0 lead for the visitors.
A minute later Bath lost centre Alex Crockett to the sin-bin when he was caught striking a London Irish player in a ruck. Eoghan Hickey missed with the resulting penalty.
As the half entered its final five minutes the Exiles had their first sustained period of attack. A five-phase sequence saw Irish camped just short of the Bath try line. Showing commendable patience in the circumstances, Irish waited their chance and in the 37th minute prop forward Alex Corbisiero drove off the side of a ruck to touch down in the left corner. Hickey missed the conversion from the left touchline but Irish had their first points.
Just after the restart referee Pearson had to leave the pitch with an ankle injury, he was replaced by Ashley Rowden whose first action was to penalise an Exiles player for handling in the ruck. Cuthbert sent the penalty between the uprights to give his team a 17-5 half-time lead.
A more determined Irish emerged for the second half. There was an aggression about the opening exchanges that was lacking in the first period. A first opportunity to reduce the deficit fell to Hickey in the 42nd minute but his penalty went wide. Two minutes later Bath were penalised for not rolling clear at a ruck. Peter Hewat’s kick from 40 metres on the left went sailing between the posts.
With Peter Richards providing quick service, Chris Hala’Ufia making the metres with telling ball carries and Seilala Mapusua beginning to punch holes in the Bath defence, Irish enjoyed a period of sustained pressure. Time and again however, the referee’s whistle brought embryo threatening moves to a halt.
Cuthbert had a chance to stretch his team’s lead in the 50th minute but his penalty drifted wide. Both teams started to introduce replacements, among them was Elvis Sevealii who took over from Peter Hewat for Irish. Topsy Ojo tried to capitalise on the temporary confusion of the changeovers with a typical waltzing run that sliced through the visitors’ defence. His move broke down when he was penalised for not releasing in the tackle.
As the game entered its final quarter Paul Hodgson replaced Richards at scrum half for Irish, he combined well with Mapusua to send the centre on another searing run through midfield that Bath were fortunate to stop. A trip on the Exiles’ scrum half in the 64th minute provided Hickey with a long range penalty from 40 metres. This time the fly half was successful with his kick and Irish were back within one score at 11-17.
Irish upped the pace another notch. Nick Kennedy capped a fine display with another lineout steal. The Exiles’ outstanding prop, Alex Corbisiero retired injured in the 68th minute and was replaced by flanker Jon Fisher resulting in uncontested scrums.
Hickey opted to kick two penalties to touch in quick succession as Irish tried to play the game in the Bath 22. In the 77th minute Irish launched an attack down the right, Sevealii broke clear, chipped the ball over the last Bath defender, then picked it up and raced through to touch down. Hickey lined up the conversion in cathedral-like silence in the stadium but his kick drifted just right of the right upright to leave the score at 16-17.
Irish immediately conceded a penalty from the re-start which Cuthbert kicked successfully for a final score of 16-20 to the visitors.
Scorers: London Irish: Tries: Corbisiero (36),Sevealii (77). Penalty goals: Hewat (44), Hickey (65). Bath: Try: James (10). Penalty goals: James 3 (18, 23, 28), Cuthbert 2 (39, 80).
Scoring sequence (London Irish first): 0-5, 0-8, 0-11, 0-14, 5-14, 5-17 (half-time) 8-17, 11-17, 16-17, 16-20.
London Irish: 15. P Hewat (rep. E Sevealii, 54), 14. T Ojo, 13. D Armitage, 12. S Mapusua(captain), 11. S Tagicakibau, 10. E Hickey, 9. P Richards (rep: P Hodgson, 60), 1. A Corbisiero (rep: J Fisher, 69), 2. D Paice (rep: D Coetzee, 60), 3. F Rautenbach (rep: T Lea’aetoa, 61), 4.N Kennedy (rep: J Fisher, 50), 5. G Johnson, 6. R Thorpe, 7. S Armitage, 8. C Hala’Ufia.
Bath Rugby: 15. N Abendanon, 14. J Maddock, 13. A Crockett (sin-bin: 29-39)(rep: T Cheeseman, 65), 12.E Fuiamano-Sapolu (rep: S Berne, 54), 11. J Cuthbert, 10. B James, 9. M Claassens (rep: S Bemand, 62), 1. D Barnes (rep: D Flatman, 62), 2. L Mears (rep: P Dixon, 50), 3. D Bell (rep: M Stevens, 50), 4.J Harrison, 5. P Short, 6. S Hooper, 7. M Lipman (captain), 8. J Scaysbrook.
Referee: D Pearson (rep: A Rowden, 38) (RFU)
Attendance: 8,221