Heineken Cup: Irish face struggle after Metro loss

LONDON Irish gave themselves a mountain to climb if they are to qualify for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals from Edinburgh’s pool after Racing Metro bounced back from their loss in Paris last week with a 25-19 victory in Reading.

Racing wing Sereli Bobo crossed for a try and fly-half Jonathan Wisniewski kicked 20 points with three penalties, three drop goals and a conversion.

Hooker David Paice got a try for London Irish with the last move of the game and wing Tom Homer kicked 14 points with four penalties and a conversion, but the hosts fell short.

Just two games ago, the Exiles were all but out of the competition after a one-point home loss to Edinburgh and a 24-18 defeat at Cardiff Blues left them with just two points.

However, last week’s superb and unexpected four-try, bonus point victory over Racing brought Toby Booth’s side right back into the mix, only for them to fall over again at home.

Ulster pressed home their Heineken Cup ambitions with a 46-20 bonus-point victory over Aironi in Monza.

Brian McLaughlin’s men scored six tries on their way to a well-merited win, which puts them in pole position at the top of Pool Four ahead of next month’s crunch clashes at home against Leicester and away to Clermont Auvergne.

Andrew Trimble, Tom Court, Craig Gilroy and replacements Robbie Diack and Adam Macklin were all on the mark for the visitors, while a first-half penalty try added to Italian woes.

The quality of opposition notwithstanding, it was a strong performance by the Irish province who dominated throughout.

A 75th-minute try from Jonny May kept alive Gloucester’s faint Heineken Cup hopes with a narrow 23-19 victory over Connacht.

Niall O’Connor looked to have earned Connacht their first win of the competition when his 72nd-minute penalty put the visitors 19-16 up, but replacement centre May then sailed past two defenders for the decisive score.

Tiernan O’Halloran and Tim Taylor had earlier traded first-half tries while O’Connor kicked four penalties and Taylor and Freddie Burns combined for three for the hosts.

May’s late intervention was a bitter blow for the gallant Irish side, who were unlucky to lose.