Everitt provides inspiration for Exiles to exact revenge

London Irish 42 Newport 5

Revenge does not come any more emphatic or sweeter than this. After the capitulation a week earlier at Rodney Parade that allowed Toulouse to slip out of sight at the top of Pool Five of the Heineken Cup, London Irish were determined to make Newport pay for their impertinence.

And pay they did, helplessly watching the scoreboard tick over until it read 42-0 with normal time up at the Madejski Stadium. At least Jason Jones-Hughes eventually found the way over the tryline in the third minute of time added on, but this was scant consolation on a day when it was again in very short supply for Welsh rugby.

Five tries, as well as 22 points from Barry Everitt, ensured that one of the two spots on offer for the best second-placed teams remains in the sights of the Exiles, who must now wallop Edinburgh away and topple the mighty Blues at home when the competition resumes next month, if they are to progress to the quarter-final.

But despite a performance that was near faultless, the overwhelming emotion was that of frustration. "There was still a bitter pill in the stomach after losing last week,'' Conor O'Shea, the Irish director of rugby, said. "Today we showed the gulf between English and Welsh rugby as we still had 40 per cent left in us at the end. The whole way through we felt frustrated as we were just as in command at Newport the week before when we wasted at least seven try-scoring opportunities."

There was to be no such profligacy yesterday with Everitt getting the snowball rolling in the ice-cold conditions with a penalty from 35 metres out in the third minute, but it was the opposing captain, Simon Raiwalui, who really turned the heat up 10 minutes later. The giant Fijian lock can usually be replied upon for the spectacular and his elbow on Michael Horak, a full two seconds after the young full-back had released the ball, must have had the Italian referee, Antonio Lombardi, fingering for his red card instead of the yellow.

If Horak had been lucky to escape with his head still intact, then Newport were in danger of losing theirs and how Andy Marinos did not join Raiwalui in the sin-bin after 60 seconds of lunacy two minutes later was anyone's guess. From the penalty, Irish pressed deep into Welsh territory before Everitt threw an outrageous dummy that split open the defence. The outside half had allowed himself a simple conversion from his try under the posts and when Justin Bishop stole over in the corner in the 23rd minute, after the scrum-half Hentie Martens had found the Ireland wing all alone on the blindside, the match was effectively rendered a no-contest.

Everitt twisted the knife still further with two more penalties to make it 21-0 at the break and Newport fire had been doused. Brendan Venter, the Irish player-coach, accepted Bishop's invitation to run in a try in the 45th minute and Horak followed him over after a sublime kick and chase from Everitt as the game petered out with 10 minutes remaining. They were not quite done, however, and the replacement Mark Mapletoft nudged the score past the 40-mark when he latched on to Martens' pass inside.

Jones-Hughes then spared Newport a whitewash, but the indignity was complete when the outside-half Jason Strange hit the crossbar attempting to convert the try with a drop goal. A comical end to an afternoon of few laughs for the Welshmen.

London Irish: Tries Everitt, Bishop, Venter, Horak, Mapletoft. Penalties Everitt (3). Conversions Everitt (4). Newport: Try Jones-Evens.

London Irish: Horak; Sackey, Burrows, Venter, Bishop; Everitt, Martens; Worsley, Drotske, Halford, Strudwick, Delaney, Gustard, Dawson, Sheasby. Substitutes: Edwards, Mapletoft, Cockle, Kirke, Danaher, Hatley, Hardwick.

Newport: Howarth; Mostyn, Jones-Hughes, Marinos, Luscombe; Strange, Burn; C Jones, Young, Anthony, Raiwalui, Voyle, J Powell, Gravell, Ojomoh. Substitutes: Snow, Richards, Gough, Veater, Williams, Pini, Navaro.

Referee: A Lombardi (Italy).