London Irish’s 20-year membership of English rugby’s top flight will be all but ended if they fail to win in the next round of games at Newcastle, a match Luke Narraway,, their captain against Sale, has billed as a grand final.
Defeat against the Sharks before the lowest league crowd of the season here left the Exiles at the bottom of the table, four points behind Newcastle with three matches left. Given they have mustered one point on the road this season and travel to title contenders Wasps in the final round, the match in the north-east is win or bust.
“We have three more matches and we need to win two of them,” said Narraway, the England flanker. “What has been most disappointing about our last two matches against Sale and Worcester is that we have defeated ourselves rather than been blown away by a better side. We have spirit in abundance but we need to add accuracy to that.
“We are in this position because we have not been clinical enough. We should have been two scores up against Sale at half-time having dominated the game and, when you are struggling, you do not get the 50-50 refereeing calls. When we came back to 15-16 I thought we would kick on, but they got away with a pass I felt was two metres forward yet when Tom Fowlie scored under the posts earlier, the referee was quick to blow my pass to him for being forward and did not check it.”
Sale lost to Worcester after dropping three try-scoring passes but against Sale the outside-half Greig Tonks missed three kicks in front of the posts from close to medium range in the first 40 minutes that cost his side eight points and an interval lead. Indiscipline also cost them with Sale’s first two tries coming after penalties had been kicked to touch.
“We were good enough to win the game,” said Narraway, “but every time we play now there is something at stake, people’s livelihoods and the history of a great club. We need to deal with it better because matches are running out. The players have got us into this position and we are the ones who have to get us out of it and develop a killer edge. It hurts but there is no room for self-pity. The Newcastle game is everything and it will be a grand final.”
Irish have been in the top flight since being promoted to the old Courage League in 1996 and they are one of seven clubs who have been ever present in the Premiership era. Finalists in 2009, they have spent the last four seasons in the bottom four. Defeat at Newcastle would leave them more than a bonus point victory away from the Falcons with Harlequins and Wasps to come. They hope the All Blacks’ prop Ben Franks will be fit after missing the last three months with an arm injury.
Sale faced the threat of relegation three seasons ago but survived to fight their way up the table and overcome a financial disadvantage with most of their rivals. They are the only major club in Europe with an unbeaten home record this season but their only league win on the road came at Leicester. Victory kept them in contention for a top six spot, and seventh may be enough to secure a place in the European Champions Cup.
“I do not know if a top four finish is realistic, but we have four games to go and it may come down to the final one at Newcastle,” said Sale’s director of rugby, Steve Diamond. “We may be punching above our weight but we will give it a really good go. I know what London Irish are going through because we have been there. The league improves in quality every season and someone has to go down.”
London Irish Maitland; Fowlie (Brophy-Clews, 60), Hearn, Williams (Mulchrone, 78), Fenby; Tonks, Steele (McKibbin, 54); Court (Smallbone, ht), Paice (Cruse, 60), Aulika (Halavatau, 54), Sinclair (Sexton, 63), Symons, Narraway (capt), Cowan, Treviranus (McCusker, 37). Tries Maitland, Williams. Con Tonks. Pen Tonks.
Sale Haley; Addison, James, Tuitupou (Brady, 66), Edwards; Cipriani (Ford, 78), Stringer; Lewis-Roberts (Harrison, 54), Taylor (Briggs, 66), Mujati (Cobilas, 50), Evans, Ostrikov (Mills, 66), Neild, Seymour (capt; Lund 78), Easter (Ioane, 50). Tries Haley, Ioane, Cipriani. Cons Cipriani 3. Pens Cipriani 3.
Sin-bin Briggs 78.
Referee C Maxwell-Keys (RFU). Attendance 5,541.
