London Irish
A missed opportunity
By Sam_R43
April 2 2013
This Sunday was a special occasion, not just because it was Easter Sunday, and it was a huge game against our relegation rivals, but it was also LKR’s birthday treat so we had the pleasure of watching this game from the Guinness Lounge. I won’t tell you how old she is; just that someone made her a London Irish cake using the numbers 0 & 5.
This match report should really start on Tuesday afternoon with announcement that Welsh’s appeal was successful but unsuccessful. As this long winded unsavoury saga appears to be finally drawing to an end I have a large amount of sympathy for the London Welsh team and supporters, and feel sad that relegation could be decided off the pitch. But as all the gruesome details came to light, I would say that a 5 point deduction was justified. Either way, that means we’re 5 points closer to safety!
As it was a special occasion we had a couple of guests with us. The first, the well-known lucky Grandma, having seen us win near enough every game she’s watched us play (Clearly hasn’t been around enough this season), so hopefully that would be a good sign. The second, my unlucky girlfriend, having seen us lose 3 from 3 so far. Someone made a comment about how they’d cancel each other out and it’d end in a draw!
We arrived nice and early and met up with people to discuss the latest rumours about who is leaving before heading up the stairs, round a corner, down a long corridor, round another corner and down another corridor before arriving at the Guinness Lounge. A nice room in the North-West corner of the stadium with a large glass window to watch the game from the warm or padded seats if you dare brave the cold!
In the pre-match build up we saw a familiar face on the television – Shaun Edwards. Many comments were made about how poor the defence would be if he was around, and how we hoped he found the ground alright on his first visit! Safe to say, we’re not his biggest fans!
So after our pre-match burger and chips (The Guinness Lounge is much better than the van outside!) we took our seats ready for kick-off.
A great start out the blocks, a short little kick-off to regain possession and a few phases later we have a lineout in the Sale 22m. After a solid lineout drive moving us towards the line Tagi takes the ball through a couple of tackles in the centre and gets stopped just short of the line. Guy picks up the ball and drives himself over the line! Just 3 mins in – Irish 7-0 Sale.
Sale get possession back in their 22 after some time, 3 missed tackles from LI players mean Sale are just inside our half and win a penalty. Kicked by Macleod making it Irish 7-3 Sale.
Phibbs is taken off after 9 mins and replaced by Darren, didn’t look too serious. As we take the ball from a lineout in our half Trev bursts up field, stepping round the Sale defence. Aulika picks the ball from the ruck, through the gap in the defence. As he runs down field, with a massive smile, holding the ball in one hand, he pushes Amesbury out of the way and dives over for his 9th try of the season! Aulika described as ‘rolling down the field like an out of control bowling ball’, think that sums him up quite nicely! Irish 14-3 Sale after 10 mins, looking good!
Irish continue to dominate as we make several breaks round the outside and through the middle but lose possession with a couple of knock-ons and kicks through that are collected by Sale, need to be more clinical. Tuitupou then breaks through a tackle for Sale and gets over the half way line before being pulled down. Another 2 Sale players then bounce through Irish tacklers and offload to get 10m out from the LI line with us scrambling in defence. Paicey then drives through the middle off the ruck but is said not to have been on his feet and is yellow carded straight away, which seemed quite harsh IMO. Sale opt for a lineout 5m out, as Sale send their player up, Irish defend ready for a maul but it doesn’t happen as Thomas pushes straight through an LI defender and goes over the line for a try (just about! He nearly dropped it by Garner refuses to check!) Irish 14-10 Sale after 20 mins.
Another great break by Ian and Trev stepping round defenders and getting us well into the Sale 22m comes to nothing as we kick through and Sale regain possession. Again Trev makes another break into a promising position but the offload is dropped. Sale get an easy overlap on the outside 50m out and Tuitupou breaks and offloads to Shepherd who is dragged down 8m out, Sale drive towards the line a few more times before spreading the ball out wide and Cueto uses his experience to easily step round Guy for another try. Irish 14-15 Sale after 28 mins, not looking so good anymore!
Paice returns from the bin but that 10 minutes cost us 12 points, a real turning point in the game! A scrum penalty 30m away gives Tom a chance to undo some of the damage and does so with a good kick. Irish 17-15 Sale. Then another kick from a penalty at the breakdown Tom, with a great kick, gets another 3 points from 50m out. Irish 20-15 Sale with 5 to go.
Some more sustained pressure puts Irish into the Sale 22 and get an advantage, but a knock on means they lose the chance for a try and Tom is going for the 3. A very similar penalty to the one Paicey got yellow carded for the in the first half but just a warning. Tom pushes the kick just to the left this time from 25m out. 2 minutes to go in the half and we’re 20-15 up, just need to hold on to this lead…
Sale with possession on the half way line (LI should have had a penalty for holding on but Garner misses it). With the clock on 0:00, Sale stab the ball through a is collected by Tom being put under a lot of pressure. He should have kicked it out as soon as he got possession but maybe didn’t realise the clock was up. He fumbles the ball backwards and he’s tackled and is collected by the Sale player who goes for the line but it stopped just short by Guy. But the ball is spread out wide and a poor attempted tackle means Sale are in for the try in the corner! With a great conversion from the touchline, at half-time it’s Irish 20-22 Sale. “For the first time in the Premiership this season, Sale are ahead.”
At half-time Aulika & Hoff are both taken off, huge losses as they made big dents in the Sale defence. Kick-off in the second half is met by another good attacking opportunity for Irish, working our way up to the Sale 22m but is then ended by another knock-on. Then a penalty on the half way line means Sale can move 5 points ahead, another great kick – Irish 20-25 Sale.
Sale kick the ball back deep from kick-off giving Tagi a great opportunity to counter. He drives into Amesbury who strips the ball off him and he charges down field. The Irish defences rushes back in time to stop Sale 15m out from the try line. The ball is shifted out wide and a very poor tackle from Garvey and Evans means Gaskell can push over the last two defenders and dots the ball down on the line with Tom standing over it. Irish 20-30 Sale – Looks like we’re in trouble now!
Irish are straight back on the attack with Paciey breaking up field, Darren manages to wriggle through the ruck and breaks into the Sale 22m but offloads it straight to Seymour and Sale clear. Yarde also breaks down field, running round Sale defenders and is pulled down 10m out, but the support isn’t there and Sale turn the ball over and clear again!
A good attacking move by the backs in mid-field puts Sale under pressure and give us a lineout 5m from the Sale line. The lineout is won cleanly and the ball is driven forward steadily to just a metre short from the line. Lahiff drives over with support from Skiv and goes over the line and look like he’s scored – Garner agrees and finally uses the TMO, asking is there any reason why he cannot award a try. After various camera angles, there’s no proof he can’t score and a try is awarded under the posts! Irish 27-30 Sale, 25 minutes to go! Our first decision that has gone our way with a TMO this season!
A great return kick by Irish from the kick-off and good chase puts pressure on the ruck and we get the penalty. A difficult kick, about 50m out, 15m in from touch but Tom nails it! We’re back level, 30-30 with 25 mins to go!
Irish get a penalty in our own 22m and tap quickly and go wide! Good passes means Guy is through but is only jogging down the pitch and passed far too early, a good opportunity goes begging. Irish keep the pressure on as they bring on JJ for Tagi. Marland spins out of a tackle and then gets tackled high, penalty to Irish and the penalty is kicked by Tom. 33-30 with 15 mins to go!
Sale then put LI under loads of pressure, great cover defence from Darren stops a try and we just about clear our line. But Sale come back at us from the lineout, then good defensive work from the forwards means we get the ball and keep Sale out again. After keeping us the defence, we win the penalty, about 55m away from the posts but Tom steps up for it. Unfortunately it falls just short, with 7 minutes to go it stays at 33-30. Ojo comes on from Shane. Sale then get the chance for a penalty, 40m out in front of the posts, well within the range for Macleod. But a horrible slice puts it well wide. Still 33-30 with 4 mins to go. Lahiff goes off for Jerry.
Sale break up field through a few Irish tackles and are eventually stopped. The ball pops out of a ruck and Irish knock it on off the floor. Sale scrum centre field 22m out with 2 minutes to go. Sale retain possession and a few phases later Peel asks for a penalty and Garner obliged! 22m out Macleod makes no mistake this time, just 30 seconds left and we’re level again – Irish 33-33 Sale.
A knock-on from the kick-off draws the full time whistle – Irish 33-33 Sale.
At the end of the day, a draw seemed a fair result in what was a pretty odd game. With more tries than tackles it was hard to tell who was on top. After being 14-3 up after 10 minutes a good win and a try bonus points seemed on the card. But a yellow card for Paice seemed to turn the tables. Being 20-30 down early into the second half I thought we’d be in for a long half, so 33-33 seemed a good result. (And not surprising with the lucky Grandma and the unlucky girlfriend both present! – Nether of them will be at any more games this season, so it’s down to the boys!)
Despite Sale gaining 1 league point on us, they nearly gained 4, so it could have been a lot worse. And probably more importantly, we gained 2 points on Welsh, rather than just 1. So with 3 games to go, we’re 12 points clear with 15 available. It means Welsh failing to win against Northampton we’ll be mathematically safe! (Unless Welsh drag it all back up at the Court of Arbitration for Sport at the end of the season!)
It’s been a long season, and with more players likely to leave, the hurt might not have finished. But hopefully with some good names already coming in, maybe some more to come, and the progress with Hazelwood the transition period of this season might be over. And next season we can look forward to bigger and better things, hopefully a top six finish, maybe even top 4. Either way, we’ll be behind the boys for what is sure to be another rollercoaster ride. Come on you Irish!
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DaveAitch (Sale Supporter, so not technically a "Member" but thanks Dave)
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Perhaps you could just bring lucky Grandma or lucky Girlfriend to the LW game. However, if Saints beat LW at the Kassam on 14 Apr, both will be welcome.
And now I know why Jon was carrying a bunch of flowers around the car park !!
Belated Happy Birthday LKR.
Laighean ag éirí leat an diabhal
