Rugby Union: Irish passion just enough
London Irish 24 Leicester 23
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.THE MATCH programmes were late and so were London Irish. They left it very late indeed before getting the drop on second-placed Leicester, who had their hands full trying to subdue the irrepressible home team. If the Tigers represented power play, the Exiles personified passion play. Passion told, but only just.
Yer Man, the Irish captain Conor O'Shea, cool as you like dropped a goal in the first minute of injury time just when Leicester thought they had nicked it with a sucker punch by Leicester scrum-half Austin Healey. The diminutive England player had dummied his way over for a try with just eight minutes remaining, and Joel Stransky's conversion nudged the second- placed side in front, but they then had to withstand a mighty battering.
The first half pace was frenetic, the work-rate awesome, the action non- stop. No sooner had the hero of the night, O'Shea, cut a cute angle inside centre Nick Burrows to touch down under the posts and give Niall Woods a simple conversion than the Tigers were level again, and through the softest of tries.
Straight from the restart the ball danced a jig through the flailing Irish arms until Leon Lloyd got his hands on it and raced over. Stransky did the honours, then landed two penalties, one of which had been pulled back by Woods before half time.
The Exiles were straight back in the Tigers' faces after the interval. A Burrows break with support took the ball into the Tigers' den and from the ensuing ruck Ireland lock Malcolm O'Kelly picked up and flung his considerable bulk straight and low over the line. Woods flunked the conversion but his second and third penalties provided more substance to the cushion which Healey briefly destroyed before O'Shea's drop goal.
London Irish: Tries O'Shea, O'Kelly; Conversion Woods; Penalties Woods 3; Drop goal O'Shea. Leicester: Tries Lloyd, Healey; Conversions Stransky 2; Penalties Stransky 3.
London Irish: C O'Shea (capt); J Bishop, N Burrows, B Venter, N Woods; M Jones (J Brown, 54), K Campbell (P Richards, 63); M Worsley, R Kirke, K Fullman,N Harvey, M O'Kelly, J Boer, R Gallacher, K Dawson.
Leicester: T Stimpson (M Horak, 22); L Lloyd, W Greenwood, P Howard, N Ezulike; J Stransky, A Healey; D Jelley, D West, D Garforth, M Johnson (capt), F Van Heerden (N Fletcher, 12), P Gustard (L Moody, 66), M Corry, N Back.
Referee: S Lander (Liverpool)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments