RUGBY ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: London Irish 23 Saracens 19:THE CROWDS pouring out of Twickenham may have disagreed but perhaps it was this game at Reading that deserved the billing of the Big Game. It was certainly the pivotal match of the season with Saracens' hopes of beginning the year as the English Premiership's only unbeaten side foiled by an Exiles side that exchanged places with Northampton to move into second place with a deserved victory.
London Irish are now three points behind the leaders. Buoyed by their form in two Heineken Cup wins over Brive, they recovered from being 10 points down after only eight minutes to win the game 10 minutes from time with their second try through the centre Elvis Seveali'i.
London Irish won a lineout, the replacement number eight George Stowers drove forwards and from the maul Argentinian scrumhalf Alfredo Lalanne switched the play to the blindside for Seveali'i to batter this way through three tacklers in his path to the line.
Chris Malone converted from close to the touchline and, as the clock wound down, Saracens found it hard to get out of their own half for the try that would have preserved that unbeaten record. London Irish, though, showed much more ambition than their visitors.
London Irish welcomed back England's fullback Delon Armitage for his first start since dislocating his shoulder early in the season and the club last night announced that Armitage and his brother Steffon would be signing new contracts. Delon, who has signed a deal until the end of the 2011-12 season, and the England flanker Steffon, who has committed himself to staying until 2013, will he joined here next year by a third brother, Guy.
Toby Booth, London Irish's head coach, said: "Delon will get better and better once he gets some games under his belt and the whole back three were very impressive today. "The bubble had to burst for Saracens eventually and I was just glad it was us that did it. What I'm proud about is the way we came back from a 10-point deficit. They have a pragmatic gameplan and keep squeezing you. They are hard to beat and you have to be smart against them - which we were. This team believes it can beat anyone."
Yet it had all started so badly for London Irish. Barely three minutes had gone when the Saracens fullback Alex Goode put them into the lead with a drop-goal from 40 metres. London Irish were under pressure in the early stages but there seemed little danger when they won a lineout close to their own line.
Lalanne attempted to clear but his kick was charged down by Hugh Vyvyan and Justin Melck, the flanker who is part of an all-South African backrow, flopped over the ball for a soft try.
London Irish, though, needed only three minutes to haul themselves back into the game. Seilala Mapusua, the man of the match, found Peter Hewat who cut in from the right wing. Steffon Armitage was at the Australian's shoulder and Armitage delivered a well-timed pass for Chris Hala'Ufia who steamed over the line unopposed to touch down beneath the posts.
Glen Jackson's kicks continued to put daylight between the sides and when Malone missed two kicks at goal either side of the break it looked as if Saracens might inch their way to victory. But London Irish pinned Saracens back in their half for much of the second half and deserved victory.
LONDON IRISH:D. Armitage, Homer, Seveali'i, Mapusua, Hewat, Malone, Lalanne, Dermody, Paice, Ion, Kennedy, Casey, Thorpe, S. Armitage, Hala'ufia. Replacements: Catt for Mapusua (74 mins), Murphy for Dermody (70 mins), Coetzee for Paice (74 mins), Rautenbach for Ion (62 mins), Stowers for Thorpe (58 mins), Roche for Hala'ufia (58 mins). Not Used: Rudd, Lamb.
SARACENS:Goode, Penney, Ratuvou, Barritt, Wyles, Jackson, Marshall, Aguero, Ongaro, Skuse, Borthwick, Vyvyan, van Heerden, Melck, Joubert. Replacements: Haughton for Penney (70 mins), Gill for Aguero (40 mins), Brits for Ongaro (44 mins), Nieto for Skuse (28 mins). Not Used: Botha, Saull, Rauluni, Hougaard.
Referee:Dean Richards (RFU)
- Guardian Service
