London Irish scraped automatic qualification for the Heineken Cup, despite suffering a fourth consecutive defeat as Leicester turned on
the style at Welford Road.
The Exiles had more than half an eye on events at Franklin's Gardens, where
Northampton required a win and a bonus point against Newcastle to steal fourth
place.
And Irish hearts began to flutter as Leicester pulled away in the second half,
having trailed at the interval.
But with the Saints winning only 24-19, London Irish will enjoy Heineken Cup
rugby at Madejski Stadium next season.
They also guaranteed a home tie in the Zurich Championship play-off
quarter-finals against, ironically, Northampton.
Irish stumbled somewhat unceremoniously into the Heineken Cup after their
season hit the skids following the stunning Powergen Cup final victory over
Northampton.
And despite two league defeats in the past week, the luck of the Irish was in
- even though Leicester ran in five tries, including two from winger Leon
Lloyd.
Leicester had fielded a second-string XV last week in the 38-21 defeat to
Bristol, but with the Zurich Championship quarter-final next weekend and the
Heineken Cup final showdown with Munster to follow on May 25, Dean Richards
recalled the big guns.
In came nine full internationals, including six in a beefed-up pack, as
Leicester stepped up preparations for another assault on the treble.
London Irish began the afternoon in determined fashion but were all too often
swamped by the Tigers defence.
Exiles fly-half Barry Everitt, who kicked 23 points in a faultless display
against Newcastle in midweek, missed an early penalty attempt but landed two
others, either side of a Stimpson effort, in the opening 20 minutes.
But a 6-3 lead was all the Exiles had to show for their solid early pressure
and they were stung by a lightning move from Leicester just two minutes later.
After a barnstorming run through the middle from Martin Johnson, one of those
recalled to the side, scrum-half Austin Healey spun wide to Stimpson who, tight
for space on the right wing, handed onto Lloyd for a clear 40-metre sprint to
the line.
Leicester were almost through again but Freddie Tuilagi's chip forward was
just too strong and London Irish winger Paul Sackey, the last man back, mopped
up well.
But London Irish were unfazed and, on the stroke of half-time, after Everitt
had narrowed the deficit with a third penalty, referee Maybank awarded the
visitors a penalty try.
The Exiles' pack had a charge on and, with the maul only metres from the line,
Maybank adjudged it had been brought down. The incensed Leicester supporters
booed but Everitt gladly accepted the simple conversion to leave Irish 16-10 up
at the interval.
But it took Leicester only six minutes to reply, with Neil Back burrowing over
in the corner after a towering catch in the lineout from Ben Kay.
Andy Goode, who took over the kicking duties at half-time when the injured
Stimpson was replaced by Geordan Murphy, missed the conversion - but Leicester
were rampant.
The London Irish defence were immediately back under immense pressure and
cracked for the second time inside six minutes, this time as Martin Corry took
an opportunist tap penalty just five metres out to dive over. Goode landed the
conversion as Leicester surged into a 22-16 lead.
As the Tigers heaped on further pressure, Sackey was sin-binned and from the
resulting drive, after Healey had kicked for touch with the line just five
metres away, it was the turn of London Irish to conceded a penalty try.
Referee Maybank's decision gave Leicester the bonus point for their fourth try
and by this point London Irish were a broken side and within three minutes Lloyd
scored his second of the afternoon, outpacing the visiting defence to touch down
his own chip forward.
The defeat was emphatic in the end, but London Irish qualify for the Heineken
Cup for the first time in their history, no matter how narrowly, and a few pints
of the dark stuff will be raised in celebration.
Teams
Leicester: Stimpson, Lloyd, Smith, Gelderbloom,
Tuilagi, Goode,
Healey, Freshwater, West, Nebbett, M. Johnson, Kay, Moody,
Back, Corry.
Replacements: Murphy for Stimpson (41),
Hamilton for Goode (64), Jelley for Freshwater (65),
Cockerill for West (63), Deacon for M. Johnson (69),
Kronfeld for Back (66).
Not Used: W. Johnson.
Tries: Lloyd 2, Back, Corry, Penalty.
Cons: Stimpson, Goode 2.
Pens: Stimpson.
London Irish: Horak, Sackey,
Appleford, Hoadley, Bishop,
Everitt, Edwards, Hatley, Drotske, Hardwick, Delaney,
Fahrensohn, Halvey, Pfister, Strudwick.
Replacements: Wheatley for Hatley (70), Kirke for Drotske (52),
Halford for Hardwick (52), Cockle for Pfister (54).
Not Used: Barrett, Brown, Williams.
Sin Bin: Sackey (62).
Tries: Penalty.
Cons: Everitt.
Pens: Everitt 3.
Att: 16,000
Ref: Roy Maybank (RFU).
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