London Irish v Saracens (Sat)

[An Tarbh]

<div align="center">London Irish v Saracens (Sat)

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Date: Saturday, 1 March
Kick-off: 1330 GMT
Venue: Madejski Stadium
Coverage: Listen live on the BBC Sport website and BBC Radio Berkshire

Saracens full-back Dan Scarbrough makes his first start for nearly five months following knee surgery as the club look to move back into the play-off zone.

Hugh Vyvyan, David Seymour and Ben Skirving also return to the starting line-up as does Glen Jackson.

Seilala Mapusua has recovered from a hand injury to return for London Irish, who are unbeaten in 2008.

Mike Catt continues at fly half while Paul Hodgson is back from the England squad and returns at scrum half.

London Irish: Peter Hewat; Topsy Ojo; Delon Armitage; Seilala Mapusua; Sailosi Tagicakibau; Mike Catt, Paul Hodgson; Tonga Lea'aetoa; David Paice, Faan Rautenbach; Nick Kennedy; Bob Casey (capt); Kieran Roche; Steffon Armitage; Richard Thorpe.
Replacements: Dan Murphy; Stuart Mackie; Richard Skuse; James Hudson; Declan Danaher; Warren Fury; Gonzalo Tiesi.

Saracens: Dan Scarbrough, Richard Haughton, Francisco Leonelli, Adam Powell, Rodd Penney, Glen Jackson, Neil De Kock (capt), Nick Lloyd, Fabio Ongaro, Cobus Visagie, Chris Jack, Hugh Vyvyan, Paul Gustard, David Seymour, Ben Skirving.
Replacements:Andy Kyriacou, Cencus Johnston, Tom Ryder, Kris Chesney, Alan Dickens, Brent Russell, Kameli Ratuvou

From: BBC Sport

 

[Vambo]

Irish to edge a close one I reckon.

 

[Prestwick]

And edge they did.

This is very tough, especially when Sale gifted us a chance to get ahead yesterday as well. It just shows how tough the Guinness Premiership is these days and I think unless Sarries can get a decent couple of results and hammer Leeds hard, we're looking at 5th or 6th.

 

[An Tarbh]

<div align="center">London Irish 27-24 Saracens

</div>London Irish (12) 27
Try: Tagicakibau, Tiesi
Pens: Hewat (5)
Cons: Hewat

Saracens (13) 24
Try: Skirving
Pens: Jackson (4)
Cons: Jackson

London Irish recorded a fifth straight Premiership win as tries from Sailosi Tagicakibau and Gonzalo Tiesi kept their push for the play-offs alive.

It was Sarries fifth defeat in their last seven games - but they could have drawn had fly-half Glen Jackson not missed a penalty in the final minute.

Irish number 15 Peter Hewat was in fine form and rattled in 17 vital points which proved decisive in the end.

Saracens tries, from Ben Skirving and Kameli Ratuvou, were not enough.

Jackson kicked the first points in the seventh minute with a 30-metre penalty, but Irish were in front by 14 minutes after two penalties from Hewat.

Sarries were reduced to 14 men in the 26th minute when lock Kris Chesney was sin-binned for diving over at the breakdown.

Hewat kicked another penalty to put Irish 9-3 up, only for Jackson to peg them back to 9-6 on 30 minutes.

Hewat's 20-metre penalty made it 12-6, but a Skirving try two minutes before the break was converted by Jackson, meaning Sarries took a one-point lead into the interval against the run of play.

Jackson extended his side's lead with another three points on 49 minutes, but London Irish soon regained the lead when winger Topsy Ojo fed Tagicakibau who went over for his first of the season.

Another breakaway try four minutes later from Tiesi kept the Exiles in front as they mounted yet more misery on Sarries.

Jackson reduced the deficit to five points when he converted another penalty but the home side fought back and a Hewat kick extended Irish's lead.

Ratuvou went over for Sarries in the 74th minute but it proved too little too late- and Jackson missed his vital kick late on.

London Irish: Hewat, Ojo, D. Armitage, Mapusua, Tagicakibau, Catt, Hodgson, Lea'aetoa, Paice, Rautembach, Kennedy, Casey, Roche, S. Armitage, Thorpe. Replacements: D. Murphy, Mackie, Skuse, P. Murphy, Danaher, Fury, Tiesi.

Saracens: Scarbrough, Haughton, Leonelli, Powell, Penney, Jackson, de Kock, Lloyd, Ongaro, Visagie, Chesney, Vyvyan, Gustard, Seymour, Skirving. Replacements: Kyriacou, Johnson, Ryder, Fullarton, Rauluni, Russell, Ratuvou.

From: BBC Sport