London Irish take full advantage of Leicester’s lengthening injury list

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/sep/28/leicester-london-irish-aviva-premiership-match-report

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Leicester head for Gloucester and David Humphrey’s expensively assembled pack next Saturday wondering not just where their next win is coming from, but where they can lay their hands on a few forwards.

The sick bay at Welford Road is overflowing to the point where his four top-choice props are unavailable to director of rugby Richard Cockerill, who also has just two of his seven second rows fit. At best Manu Tuilagi and possibly Seramaia Bai could be fit to travel to Kingsholm, but Cockerill will learn on Monday whether the bumps and bruises collected in the defeat by London Irish will add to the 21 players unavailable to him on Saturday.

Add a perceived sense of injustice – Cockerill says he intends reporting referee Greg Garner to Twickenham this week – and Welford Road is not a happy place to be. Not that Cockerill was getting any sympathy with old boys trying not to crow about the fortunes of a side which has been champions 10 times.

First came Brian Smith, once a fly half at Leicester but now director of rugby at London Irish and delighted that the Exiles had notched up only their second win in 91 years of visiting Welford Road. “We have come close here and had our hearts broken plenty of times,” said Smith after his place kicker Shane Geraghty sealed a deserved win with his fifth penalty of the day just two minutes from time.

“We understand that they are wounded and have their challenges ahead of them...but the result is more important than anything,” said Smith, pointing out that while Leicester were being humbled 45-0 at Bath last week, his side had come within a whisker of unseating another English giant, Saracens.

“The win was crucial for us. We felt we were denied last week and with all the talk this week of backlash it turned out to be a London Irish backlash. We’re not going to crow about it...but we’ll take the win and crack on. If it’s not the biggest scalp in English rugby, then it’s right up there,” said Smith.

George Skivington, a Tiger until three seasons ago and now London Irish captain, added his own brand of commiseration: “This club has a special place in my heart. I enjoyed playing here and learned so much,” insisted Skivington before adding: “I’ve got some really good friends here but it’s a game of rugby and would they have felt sorry for us?”

Add a live-wire performance from London Irish wing, Alex Lewington and it was a good day for Leicester old boys if not for their former employers, who now sit alongside Gloucester in mid-table.

Add three missed penalties by new fly half Freddie Burns – Geraghty was near perfect in collecting 17 points of his own – and Cockerill was pretty grumpy after the game, insisting Garner’s refereeing had cost them dear. He was particularly upset that the flanker Blair Cowan escaped without censure other than a penalty, after appearing to hit Jamie Gibson in the face.

“Clearly, Greg Garner thinks it’s alright to punch someone in the face and it’s just a penalty,” said Cockerill. “I don’t want any sympathy, I just want referees to referee properly.”