The Exiles ran out 34-14 victors at the Stade Yves Dun Manoir to register their first success of the competition.

Previous defeats to Edinburgh and Cardiff Blues looked to have all but ended Irish’s hopes of qualification for the quarter-finals but a maximum five-point tally means they are now just two points behind second-placed Edinburgh and five shy of leaders the Blues.

Jonathan Spratt, Joe Ansbro and Adam Thompstone were the try scorers for Toby Booth’s men, with left-wing Thompstone grabbing a clinical brace.

Irish trailed 14-10 at the interval after Spratt had matched former Biarritz Olympique star Sereli Bobo’s early effort but there was only one side in it after the half-time break.

The game swung swiftly in Irish’s favour in an incredible four-minute spell approaching the hour-mark as the visiting backs showed their class with two incisive finishes after the forwards had done the hard graft.

Ansbro, who had a 12th-minute effort ruled out by the TMO, powered through two weak tackles having taking replacement fly-half Adrian Jarvis’ miss pass just outside the 22 before Thompstone cut a delightful inside line from an attacking scrum on 58 minutes.

With Jarvis converting both scores, Irish found themselves 27-14 in front approaching the final quarter.

And while Racing enjoyed a sustained period of pressure that only ended 10 minutes after Thompstone’s first score, Irish produced a magnificent defensive display, eventually forcing Racing skipper Lionel Nallett to hang on to the ball in the tackle.

Thompstone put the result beyond doubt on 73 minutes as he picked off Bobo’s floated pass just inside Racing territory to race home unopposed and hand his side a huge Heineken Cup boost.