Quins add to Irish woes
A try from Gary Botha early in the second half proved to be enough to give Harlequins their first victory at the Madejski Stadium in six years.
Last Updated: 14/02/09 5:24pm
A try from Gary Botha early in the second half proved to be enough to give Harlequins their first victory at the Madejski Stadium in six years.
Botha's 49th-minute score condemned London Irish to a third Guinness Premiership defeat in as many games, although they did clinch a losing bonus point despite playing for almost an hour with 14 men.
The visitors came out firing and Nick Evans should have put them in front with a seventh minute penalty, but the normally precise stand-off pushed it wide.
Thus, it was Irish who broke the deadlock five minutes later, full-back Peter Hewat and winger Adam Thompstone putting Quins under defensive pressure to force a penalty, which Hewat converted.
But Evans did level on 17 minutes after the Exiles infringed at the scrum right in front of the posts, and worse was to follow when David Paice was dismissed for dissent after being involved in a fracas on the Irish 22.
Evans and Hewat exchanged penalties and Quins started to gain the upper hand, Jordan Turner-Hall almost barging his way over, and the Irish suffered another blow when they lost Hewat to a leg injury following a collision with Topsy Ojo.
Partisan fans
But it was the rejuvenated home side, roared on by 12,000 partisan fans, who took the lead after the interval when Quins were penalised on their own 22, Alfredo Lalanne taking over kicking duties to nudge his side ahead.
But Quins once again started to make the extra man count, and they were soon camped out on the Irish try-line before South African hooker Botha was eventually bundled over.
Evans uncharacteristically missed the conversion attempt but Botha was enjoying the extra space created by the absent Paice and set up another attacking move that had the hosts back-pedalling.
Mike Catt was unable to dominate with the boot and Irish found it hard to ease the pressure as a result.
And with the Irish scrum creaking, Evans was able to seal it three minutes from time after the home side was penalised for another infringement.
