London Irish booked their place in the Zurich Premiership play-offs after
seeing off Gloucester.
Both teams had desperate games but Gloucester, who have already qualified for
the play-offs, had opted to field an inexperienced side ahead of Saturday's
crucial Heineken Cup semi-final against Leicester.
Gloucester's Byron Hayward missed an easy penalty in front of the post while
Irish fly-half Barry Everitt barely managed to get his penalty kick effort off
the ground minutes later.
Hayward then broke Gloucester's duck with a ninth-minute penalty. Everitt also
made amends before going on to kick four consecutive penalties.
The home side then stepped up a gear with scrum-half Kieran Campbell livening
up the game with a 55th-minute try after charging down the ball from an earlier
line-out.
Pacy winger Paul Sackey continued to rack up the scores, touching down for the
10th time this season before Jarrod Cunningham added a penalty and Nnamdi
Ezulike the third try of the afternoon.
Gloucester added a converted consolation try on 80 minutes by academy player
James Forrester but that did little to save face for the West Country side.
Teams
London Irish: Cunningham, Sackey, Oliver, Hoadley, Ezulike,
Everitt, Campbell, Worsley, Kirke, Hatley, Strudwick, Delaney,
Halvey, Dawson, Danaher.
Replacements: Hunt for Everitt (75), Flavin for Kirke (75),
Cockle for Halvey (55), Bates for Dawson (63).
Not Used: Brennan, Alexopoulous, Fahrensohn.
Tries: Campbell, Sackey, Ezulike.
Cons: Everitt.
Pens: Everitt 5, Cunningham.
Gloucester: Goodridge, Todd,
Murray, Yates, Greenslade-Jones,
Hayward, Moncrieff, Sanchez, Djoudi, Deacon, Eustace,
M. Cornwell, Forrester, Gregoire-Mazzocco, Ojomoh.
Replacements: Goatley for Goodridge (63),
Vickery for Sanchez (6), Azam for Deacon (60),
Pearce for Eustace (55).
Not Used: Gomarsall, Walton, Miklausic.
Tries: Forrester.
Cons: Hayward.
Pens: Hayward.
Att: 7,131
Ref: Tony Spreadbury (RFU).
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