Rugby story by Fred Smith, Mon, 05 Dec 2005 13:24:00 GMT


London Irish ended Cardiff Blues hopes to qualify for the semi-finals of the Powergen Cup at Reading's Madejski Stadium.

The Irish team, which fielded only two first-choice players in the starting line-up led 21-6 after half an hour and in spite of a fighting performance by three Welsh forwards in the final quarter. However, Shane Geraghty managed to secure a victory for London Irish through a dropped goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

Flanker Paul Gustard, who scored the first Irish try after five minutes, managed a second immediately soon after Cardiff Robin Sowden-Taylor was sent off after 20 minutes.

“We had a good November in the Premiership but this match was a chance to give some of our other players an opportunity to bid for a first-team start. Our first-half display today was outstanding, and selection for next week's European Challenge Cup match against Agen will now be very difficult,” said Brian Smith, the Irish director of rugby.

The selection strategy did pay off as their driving pack performed well in the first 20 minutes and fly-half Ross Laidlaw came up with a creditable performance.

Cardiff, who knew they needed to clinch a victory, put pressure on Wasps. They invariably opted to shoot at goal whenever they got penalties. They came close when they were 23-24, but it was Geraghty's drop on the run from 35 metres front of the posts that sealed Cardiff's fate.

The final try of Irish try came when Laidlaw, running hard his own half broke into Cardiff midfield through by a 40-metre break where he turned the ball inside to centre Rodd Penney who did the rest.

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