Premiership A League

Bristol United 27 London Irish 17

By John Harding

BRISTOL United, after two defeats, got their Premiership A League campaign back on track with a 27-17 over London Irish A in a hugely physical contest at Clifton RFC as they held off a second half comeback from the Exiles Academy coaches Sean Marsden and Mark Irish made eight changes from the side that suffered defeat against Bath United last time out at Hornets RFC with a number of players returning from long-term injury.

Gaston Cortes, Dan Tuohy and Nick Fenton-Wells all returned to action, while Ryan Bevington started from the bench. Jack Tovey, Billy Searle and Ryan Glynn, all of whom were involved in the Championship defeat of Richmond, were in the backline.

Hartpury BUCS player Maliq Holden started on the wing with Bristol University's Ben Gompels was the hooker in a side led by former New Zealand U20s international Joe Latta who joined Bristol in the summer from Gloucester.

The visitors, led by prop Tom Smallbone, included hooker Saia Fainga’a who joined the Exiles towards teh end of pre-season training having been capped on 36 occasions by the Wallabies while Georgian international Lasha Lomidze was at No.8.

A penalty from fly-half Jacob Atkins gave the Exiles an early lead but ten minutes later his opposite number Billy Searle levelled the scorers before adding the conversions to tries from Jack Wallace and Jack Tovey.

Bristol extended 17-3 half time lead with a touchdown replacement scrum half Reiss Cullen, converted by Searle. The Exiles, who had also lost their opening two games, reduced the arrears with tries either side of the hour mark.

Replacement hooker Tom Woolstencroft, who had spells with Bath and Wasps, crossed for the first followed by flanker Isaac Curtis-Harris with Atkins converting both. But with three minutes remaining Searle landed a crucial penalty to seal the victory.