MATCH REPORT: Hartpury 5-38 London Irish | 28th December 2018 | News | London Irish Subscribe Book Tickets li_logo_text_dark News Tickets Hospitality Teams Fixtures Match Centre The Club Commercial Community Foundation Shop Menu Home News Tickets Hospitality Teams Fixtures Match Centre The Club Commercial Community Foundation Shop Tickets Buy Match Tickets Accessibility 2021/22 Season Tickets Buy Seasons Tickets Book parking Memberships Match Day Information Subscriptions Ticket FAQs Hospitality Matchday Hospitality Matchday FAQ Seasonal Hospitality Teams First Team Coaches & Staff Academy Women's Match Centre Competitions Food & Drink The Club About us Player Sponsorship Hazelwood Centre Contact us Vacancies Inclusion Policy Safeguarding Pub Partners Supporters Club ACE Amateurs Commercial Executive Club Advertising Opportunities Sponsors & Partners Community About Us Rugby Camps Matchday Packages Festivals Supporting Local Clubs London Irish Community Choir Who We Work With Brochure MENU Buy Match Tickets Accessibility Buy Season Tickets Book parking Memberships Match Day Information Subscriptions Ticket FAQs 2022/23 Season Ticket FAQs Flexi Tickets Fixtures & Results Match Reports Match Highlights About us Inclusion Policy Safeguarding Matchday Safeguarding Safeguarding Referral Form ACE Contact us Vacancies London Irish Amateurs Hazelwood Centre Supporters Club Pub Partners About Us Rugby Camps Matchday Packages Festivals Supporting Local Clubs London Irish Community Choir Who We Work With Brochure About Us Greggs Tackling Health Project Rugby B.E.A.T the Street HITZ B.E.A.T for Girls Lift the Baby Buy Hospitality Matchday Hospitality Seasonal Hospitality Matchday FAQ Hospitality Brochure Advertising Opportunities Sponsors & Partners Executive Club Supporter Player Sponsorship Corporate Player Sponsorship All News LITV Newsletter The London Irish App Official Kit Leisure Wear Accessories Gifts Souvenirs Risk Assessment Season Ticket FAQs First Team The Academy Coaches & Staff Women's 24 Sep Bristol Bears40 - 36London Irish 21 Sep Harlequins26 - 30London Irish 17 Sep Northampton Saints38 - 22London Irish 10 Sep London Irish45 - 14Worcester Warriors MATCH REPORT: Hartpury 5-38 London Irish Ad Space 28 December 2018 London Irish extended their lead at the top of the Championship table to five points with a maximum haul from Hartpury. While Hartpury looked to use their pace after receiving the kick off it was Irish who got off to the fast start, Matt Williams going over in the fifth minute for his third try in as many matches. After spreading the play left and right to work the ball from halfway to the 10-metre line, Irish were awarded a succession of penalties, all of which were sent to the far touchline. To their credit Hartpury’s lineout defence was firm enough – even if their over-eagerness was getting on the wrong side of the referee – but there was no stopping Williams, who came off his wing to power through the first tackler, sidestep the second and then go over the whitewash. Any thought that Hartpury might fold was quickly brushed aside, however, as they had the better of both possession and territory for the remainder of the opening quarter. As Irish had done, Hartpury sent a couple of penalties to touch and got over the gain line on a few too many occasions than the men in green would have wanted. But Irish’s defence did not crack, forcing a fumble in the first attack, a penalty in the second, and then superbly forcing Hartpury back fully 50 metres in their third with some outstanding pressure. Back on their own 10-metre line Hartpury boot was finally put to ball, and then Irish showed just how dangerous they could be with a sucker-punch of an attack. Luke McLean collected the kick and then ran a switch with Topsy Ojo, creating enough space for the winger to carve his way up the right touchline. Ojo collected his own kick ahead superbly, and with green shirts flooding upfield another score looked likely. And so it came, Ben Meehan darting over from close range between the sticks, and with Myler slotting over the conversion all of a sudden Irish were two scores in front. Try number three came before the half-hour, McLean again sparking the attack. An exchange of kicks had looked pretty aimless, but when Hartpury’s chase became disjointed the Italian international spotted the space and headed left, drawing the final man before sending a lovely pass to the speeding Tom Stephenson over in the corner. The score was a cracker, made all the better by Myler’s touchline conversion, but back again came Hartpury, sending a succession of penalties to the Exiles’ five-metre line and going a man up when referee Greg Macdonald’s patience ran out, Franco van der Merwe the player to see yellow. Eventually the pressure told, Dan Murphy going over from close range, and if truth be told it was nothing more than the hosts deserved for their efforts in the opening 35 minutes. But they nevertheless found themselves seven points further down before the break, Irish turning the ball over at the kick off before working their way upfield to create the position for Dave Porecki to score, Myler adding the conversion. The Exiles came bursting out of the blocks in the second half, Ojo cruising over unopposed three minutes after the resumption of play. The plaudits went to Stephenson, whose awareness of not being held and speed off the mark took Irish from one 22 to the other in the blink of an eye. This meant that the sin-bin period had been won 14-5, but while the hosts now faced a steep mountain to get back into the contest they remained undeterred, providing one of the moments of the third quarter with Iain Grieve’s burst. Williams was equally dangerous a minute into the final quarter, Fergus Mulchrone tackled into touch by a desperate tackle, and a lightning Meehan break was only ended by a last-ditch ankle-tap deep in the home 22. Both times the finishing touch remained frustratingly elusive, but when Hartpury infringed one final time and the forwards set up a powerful maul Scott Steele was at the end of an offload to round off the match in a positive fashion. London Irish return to the Madejski Stadium for the first time in a month on January 13th, hosting Richmond in the Championship. Tickets remain available via ticketing.londonirish.net HARTPURY Tries Murphy (34) LONDON IRISH Tries Williams (5), Meehan (19), Stephenson (26), Porecki (38), Ojo (44), Steele (79) Cons Myler (20), (28), (40), (45) Yellow cards van der Merwe (33) Hartpury Wilcox; Foley (Henry, 45), Leonard, Eves, Seabrook; Leeming, Bolt (Chapman, 68); Murphy (Adkins, 68), Tanner (Stratford, 65), Harden (Flook, 50), Quinn (Kelland, 68), Linsell (capt), Qera (Stephenson), Pashley, Grieve London Irish McLean; Ojo, Mulchrone, Stephenson (Campbell, 72), Williams; Myler (Steele, 68), Meehan; Hobbs-Awoyemi (Elrington, 68), Matu’u (Porecki, 4), Cilliers (Chawatama, 68), van der Merwe, Paolo, McNally (capt), Gilsenan, Rogerson (Treviranus, 61) Referee Greg Macdonald Share this page Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Ad Space Share this page Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Related News View All News Match Report: Bristol Bears 40, London Irish 36 24 September, 2022 MATCH REPORT: Harlequins 26, London Irish 30 21 September, 2022 Match Report: Northampton Saints 38, London Irish 22 17 September, 2022 + Matches Score Bristol Bears 40 - 36 [A] Harlequins 26 - 30 [A] Northampton Saints 38 - 22 [A] Worcester Warriors 45 - 14 [H] Buy Tickets 40 - 36 Sat 24 Sep Ashton Gate Follow London Irish Follow London Irish for the latest match, player and training updates Facebook London Irish Rugby Club Twitter Tweets by Londonirish Instagram Instagram feed is not configured. LITV The only place for exclusive content including video clips and player interviews 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮 HIGHLIGHTS | Harlequins (A) Premiership Rugby Cup 21/09/2022 HIGHLIGHTS | Northampton Saints (A) Gallagher Premiership 17/09/2022 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 to Saints 😇 HIGHLIGHTS | Worcester Warriors (H) Gallagher Premiership 10/09/2022 London Irish Away Kit 22/23!! News All News Newsletter LITV Match Centre Competitions Food & Drink The Club About us Player Sponsorship Hazelwood Centre Contact us Vacancies Inclusion Policy Safeguarding Pub Partners Supporters Club ACE Amateurs Community About Us Rugby Camps Matchday Packages Festivals Supporting Local Clubs London Irish Community Choir Who We Work With Brochure Tickets Buy Match Tickets Accessibility 2021/22 Season Tickets Buy Seasons Tickets Book parking Memberships Match Day Information Subscriptions Ticket FAQs Design and Website by © London Irish 2022 Privacy Policy Manage My Data