Exiles run seven tries past Bayonne
Newcastle await high-flying Irish
London Irish booked a date with Newcastle Falcons in the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup by romping to a 48-5 victory over Bayonne at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday.
The French visitors to Reading had little to offer the Guinness Premiership fourth-placed side who ran in seven tries, with fly-half Riki Flutey contributing 18 of his team's points.
The home side suffered early trouble when loosehead prop Michael Collins was carried off the pitch after just two minutes having suffered an injury – to be replaced by Neil Hatley.
That did not knock the home team's confidence though. Ten minutes into the game, Bayonne fell behind from a big push from the Exiles' forwards.
They drove into the heart of the French pack from a line-out – one of seventeen Irish line-outs in the first half – and were powerful enough to put Scottish international hooker Robbie Russell over for the first of his two tries, which Flutey converted from 22 metres.
The Exiles dominated the rest of the first-half proceedings but they failed to convert that pressure into points.
Twice they came close, though, as former England star Mike Catt burst through a gap in the Bayonne midfield and fed fullback Delon Armitage with 22 metres to go – however, the French cover raced back and Armitage was hauled down just inches short of the line.
Then the Exiles squandered another golden opportunity when former international wing Justin Bishop, on as a replacement for Sailosi Tagicakibau after 27 minutes, set up France loose forward Olivier Magne – the star turn of the Exiles pack.
Bishop, faced with tacklers in front and beside him, gave a pass to Magne but, as he charged unopposed towards a second try, Scottish referee Martin Changeling pulled the move back for a forward pass.
Eventually the points that London Irish had been threatening for a while arrived when Flutey kicked a drop goal that put his side two scores clear.
Bayonne nearly got themselves on the board shortly after when French international centre Richard Dourthe hit the post with a 40-yard drop goal attempt.
It did not help the French cause either that they lost big lock Thierry Cleda to a yellow card two minutes from half-time for a misdemeanour at a ruck.
In the opening ten minutes of the second half, the Exiles finally cut loose. Russell scored his second try of the game after his pack did him proud with a surging drive towards the opposition posts, then centre Gonzalo Tiesi went past a would-be tackler from a scissors on the left after some wonderful forward handling, and dived for the score.
Soon Flutey, who had not missed a goal kick all day, got in on the try-scoring act and, just to keep his record intact, converted it as well, before Topsy Ojo grabbed the touchdown he had threatened earlier in the match after a superb move involving Magne.
Russell blotted his copybook by getting himself sin-binned in the final 15 minutes of the game before Bayonne's replacement number eight Philip Van Shalkwyk was driven over for an unconverted try by his pack.
It was brief comfort as replacement Phil Murphy, on for Magne after 66 minutes, went over in the left corner.
The Exiles finished the match with just 13 men on the pitch as, with Russell in the sin-bin and having used all their replacements, Gonzalo Tiesi came off with a cut head, but there was still one final moment for the home fans to saviour as big lock Bob Casey dived between the posts for his side's seventh try, which replacement Shane Geraghty converted.
The scorers:
For London Irish:
Tries: Tiesi, Russell 2, Murphy, Casey, Ojo, Flutey
Cons: Geraghty, Flutey 4
Drop: Flutey
For Bayonne:
Try: Van Shalkwyk
The teams:
London Irish: 15 Delon Armitage, 14 Topsy Ojo, 13 Gonzalo Tiesi, 12 Mike Catt (captain), 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau, 10 Riki Flutey, 9 Paul Hodgson, 8 Olivier Magne, 7 Kieron Dawson, 6 Declan Danaher, 5 Kieran Roche, 4 Bob Casey,3 Richard Skuse, 2 Robbie Russell, 1 Neal Hatley.
Replacements: 16 David Paice, 17 Adrian Flavin, 18 Ryan Strudwick, 19 Phil Murphy, 20 Justin Bishop, 21 Darren Edwards, 22 Shane Geraghty.
Bayonne: 15 Vincent Noutary, 14 Jose Maria Nunez Piossek, 13 Richard Dourthe, 12 Sébastien Roque, 11 Benjamin Lhande, 10 Gerard Fraser, 9 Sébastien Rouet, 8 Yannick Lamour, 7 Louis Massabeau (c), 6 Guillaume Combes, 5 Mikaera Tewhata, 4 Thierry Cleda, 3 Hudley Wessels, 2 Arnaud Heguy, 1 Eduard Coetzee. Replacements: 16 Grant Hill, 17 Jorge Garcia, 18 Cédric Bergez, 19 Philip van Shalkwyk, 20 Gregory Sudre, 21 Henri-Pierre Vermis, 22 James McLaren.
Referee: Malcolm Changleng (Scotland)
Touch judges: Peter Allan, Ronnie Dumma (both Scotland)
Assessor: Tom Aplin (Wales)
