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Irish Beat the Northampton Saints
A resurgent London Irish team scored four tries compared to two in reply from the Northampton Saints to beat the Aviva Premiership leaders 39-17 and record only their second victory in the new season. The Exiles started the match in blistering fashion and were up 18-0 by half time, and the mini resurgence from The Saints in the second half wasn’t enough to deny the London side a well deserved victory.
The Exiles had tries for Jonathan Joseph, Topsy Ojo, Jamie Gibson and Daniel Paice while The Saints replied through Tom Wood and Ken Pisi. Before the start of the match, not even the most ardent of London Irish fans expected such a result, let alone the performance against a side that has been at its dominating best in the Aviva Premiership so far this season, but what transpired on the pitch is bound to give the London side a lot of hope for the rest of the season as well as plenty of confidence.
The Irish were languishing in 11th place in the 12 team Championship and had conceded, on average, 36 points in each of their matches, prior to the game against The Saints. Only the Sale Sharks have had a worst start but on Saturday, The Exiles were absolutely flawless and proved that they could really turn on the style if they choose to. In contrast, the Northampton Saints arrived in Reading prior to the match as the only team still unbeaten in the whole division and they were flying high at the top of the league.
But The Saints will perhaps now learn to give importance to the teams that languish near the bottom as the lesson they were taught by the London Irish is bound not to go down well with the side as they chase their first title.
Massive Rugby Fight! Double red card!
London Irish Movie Ranking: four / five
London Irish Place Emphasis on Discipline
Aviva Premiership Rugby Union side the London Irish has added a renewed emphasis on the discipline of the team ahead of the 2012/13 campaign. The Exiles have been plagued by problems of indiscipline for quite some time over the last few seasons and this renewed emphasis on the discipline of the team is being considered as a measure to stop any more distractions from affecting the performance of the players on the field.
When Brian Smith returned to the club in his capacity as the Director of Rugby, he placed team discipline at the top of the list of his priorities as well as that of the core value of the team in the very first team meeting that he attended. Moreover, he also made arrangements for the players of the London Irish to take part in three special events program during their pre-season schedule that are specifically designed to improve the awareness of a player on the subject.
It is not only the off-field discipline that the team has been working, but the on-field discipline as well and Shaun Edwards, the defense coach of the side laid special attention to the tackling technique of the players and spent long hours in training working out flaws in the technique of certain players. During the training camp of the club held at Winchester, the squad underwent a ‘laws of the game’ referee exam that has been specially designed by Clive Leek, a member of the RFU in order to ensure that the players developed an understanding as well as appreciation for the laws of the game and their application.
According to Smith, the disciplinary record of the London Irish has been unsatisfactory at best, both on and off field and he hopes that these little steps will go a long way in improving that record.
London Wasps 18-13 London Irish – Aviva Premiership Rugby Highlights Round 17 | 04-03-12
London Irish Movie Ranking: 5 / 5
Danaher to Skipper the London Irish
Aviva Premiership Rugby Union side the London Irish has named Declan Danaher as the captain of the club for the upcoming Rugby Union season. The back row forward will be leading The Exiles out onto the pitch as they look to bounce back from a disappointing finish at 7th position in the last season of the Aviva Premiership and seek the lost glory days. Danaher, who is currently going into his 13th season with the club, becoming the longest serving player in the history of The Not Nots, has played 242 games for the side from Reading in England and has scored 21 tries during this spell.
And speaking of his appointment as captain of the London Irish was extremely excited, stating that it would be his honor to lead the team out onto the field amidst the cheers from the packed home crowd in the Madejski Stadium. He also added that being able to follow in the footsteps of such legendary figures for the club; including Mike Catt, Bob Casey and Clarke Dermody is not only an honor, but a privilege as well.
The 32 year old also commented that he is humbled at being able to lead a side with such history and tradition and to be their captain for the 2012/13 season will be something that he will remember for the rest of his life. Speaking about how he was approached for the job, Danaher stated that the Director of Rugby for the London Irish asked him to captain the side a week back and he made no hesitation in accepting the offer.
He said that he is looking to take the club to the next step, after going through one of the most difficult seasons during his time with the club in the Aviva Premiership last year.