Irish U18s 50 Chiefs U18s 21

London Irish U-18s 50

Exeter Chiefs U18s 21

London Irish Under-18s brought Exeter Chiefs Under-18s back down to earth win a bump after they recorded a 50-21 victory over them in their latest Premiership Rugby Under-18s League clash at Hazelwood.

Buoyed by securing their first success of the season against Gloucester last time out, the young Chiefs were unable to rediscover their winning formula against a powerful Exiles outfit.

Despite taking the lead after just two minutes, courtesy of a converted Jayden Pitcher Oakes try, it the hosts who bossed the remainder of the half, building a 21-7 lead at the turn thanks to tries from Oliver Stirling, Ollie Allan and Afolabi Fasogbon, all of which were converted by fly-half Rory Taylor.

Just as they had done in the first half, the Chiefs started brightly on the resumption, reducing the deficit with a try from skipper Joe Bailey, which was again converted by George Edson.

Any hopes of a Chiefs revival, however, were quickly extinguished as Irish went on to score further tries through Allan, Sam Rockley, Matt Salisbury, Louie Kirkham and Angelo Valentine to lead 50-14.

The last word, though, would go the way of the visitors, whose determined efforts to the death resulted in a try for flanker Seth Findlay, converted by Edson.

Irish: M Salisbury; S Rockley (A Valentine 47), G Makepeace-Cubitt (A Enright 53), C Cross, S Arbuthnot-Whittaker (B Frampton 44); R Taylor (O Grantham 53), O Allan; T Reeves-Hall (O Baird 35), R Day (K Dawud 46), A Fasogbon; C O’Byrne (J Lee 47), J Gleeson (C O’Byrne 62); W Dempster (R Barton-Knott 35), L Kirkham, O Stirling

Chiefs: J Pitcher Oakes; J Statton, Z Wimbush (R Brinkley 39), G Edson, D Hamilton-Strong; N Dart (M Smale 35), J Walker (B Coen 51); J Thomson (R Lawrence 41), P Harris (J Ballett 41), A Rolls (T Gulley 41); E Spurway (J Sheppard 45), J Bailey; W Saltmarsh (B Hobbs 45-54), S Findlay, B Elderkin.

Referee: B Wood