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Avant-dernière marche pour les Exilés dans cette phase de poules d'European Rugby Challenge Cup
Glenn Delaney will lead London Irish into round five after the surprise early departure of director of rugby Brian Smith.
Smith will return to Australia with immediate effect having been released from his contract that was due to end on 30 June. Forwards coach Delaney will take on the role of interim head coach until the end of the season and his first job will be to steady the ship after a difficult week.
They have so far been in excellent form in the Challenge Cup and will harbour serious ambitions of going all the way. Their only defeat in this year’s competition came away at Cardiff Blues, the team in second place in pool one by virtue of points difference.
With the Blues hosting pool one bottom club Rovigo on Friday night, new head coach Delaney will need to ensure the Exiles win to keep on course to finish top of the group.
They go into Saturday’s contest off the back of a morale-boosting win over Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership, with Shane Geraghty slotting a late kick to seal a the victory.
Garaghty says it’s timely reminder of what they are capable of going into the final European fixtures. He said: “In our position in the league people probably question our confidence and that wins shows where our confidence levels are at the moment – they’re very good.
“We showed what we can do. The boys at the end were desperate for a win. There has been a lot of chat lately about Irish and where we are in the league but I don’t think a bad team would have been able to turn that around. We showed a little of what we can do this season.”
Match Facts
- London Irish have won their last six home games in the Challenge Cup and have only lost one of their last 18 (W16 D1) at home to French opposition.
- Grenoble have won just one of their last five away games in the competition and have won just twice on English soil in tournament history.
- Myles Dorrian (10/10) is the only player to have had at least 10 shots at goal whilst maintaining a 100% kick success rate.
- Grenoble have beaten more defenders than any other team this season, an average of 28 per game.
London Irish snatched a bonus-point 43-41 victory at the death to stun Grenoble and move top of Pool 1 of the European Challenge Cup. - 17/01/2015 17:08
London Irish snatched a bonus-point 43-41 victory at the death to stun Grenoble and move top of Pool 1 of the European Challenge Cup.
Needing to secure a five-point win to take over from Cardiff Blues at the summit the Exiles, under the charge of Glenn Delaney for the first time following Brian Smith’s midweek exit, started quickly with a score from Alex Lewington and a penalty try.
The French side hit back and tries from Laurent Bouchet (2), Julien Caminati, Louis Marrou, with James Hart and Caminati adding the rest of their points with the boot, looked to have given them the win. But Tom Guest, Geoff Cross and Fenby kept Irish in it, with Myles Dorrian’s late try, converted by Tom Homer, sealing a thrilling win.
Irish had come out of the traps firing, with a Fenby pass sending Lewington over, and a powerful forward surge ending in a penalty try and a 12-0 lead. Back came the visitors with two tries from prop Bouchet and a conversion from Hart tying the scores.
A lack of discipline was hurting Irish and Hart and Caminati knocked over four penalties between them, plus a drop goal for the latter, to a solitary Shane Geraghty penalty, to put the French club 27-15 to the good.
Guest landed a crucial blow on half-time when he surged over to cut the deficit, with Geraghty slotting two penalties on the resumption as Grenoble had Jonathan Owen and Mahmadou Diaby binned.
But, with the hosts firmly on top, Paice saw red to swing the clash back in the French side’s favour.
They still managed to work Cross over to take the lead, only for Caminati to respond in no time at all for Grenoble.
When Marrou crossed the game looked up, with Irish trailing 41-31, but they finished brilliantly as Fenby got over and then Dorrian scored with time running out, with Homer’s conversion completing a remarkable comeback.
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