O'Shea wants domestic repeat

Conor O’Shea wants London Irish to replicate their Heineken Cup form when they resume bread-and-butter Zurich Premiership business next weekend.

The Exiles, reeling from five league defeats in six starts, continue the domestic season with a Madejski Stadium appointment against Northampton.

But Irish, just one point above bottom club Bristol, have picked themselves up through two impressive displays on the European stage.

A battling 28-23 defeat in Toulouse was followed by a 24-8 Pool Five success against Edinburgh, suggesting Irish could soon start climbing the Premiership table.

“If we continue to play like we did against Edinburgh, then we will be a hard team for sides to play against,” said Irish rugby director O’Shea.

“We had the desire, and while there is a long way to go before we are turning any corners, it was a start. It was a question of putting words into action, and the players did that,” he added.

Irish ended the first two-game segment of Heineken Cup action second in their group, two points behind Toulouse.

Quickfire home and away wins against Welsh strugglers Newport when the tournament resumes in December, would keep them on course for a possible quarter-final place.

Only Sale Sharks, of England’s six Heineken Cup challengers, look to be heading towards the exit door at this early stage.

Two successive Pool Three defeats means they are already four points adrift of surprise group leaders Bourgoin, and they still face difficult trips to France and Llanelli, last season’s semi-finalists.

Holders Leicester though, and current Premiership leaders Gloucester are both unbeaten and well-placed, while both Bristol and Northampton also remain in contention.

Between them, English sides have won six and drawn one from 12 Heineken Cup starts, Irish trio Leinster, Munster and Ulster can reflect on a four from six winning return, and it’s two victories out of four for Scottish teams Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The six French combinations have easily the best combined record – 10 wins out of 12 – but Welsh quintet Neath, Llanelli, Swansea, Newport and Cardiff are producing a miserable effort.

Of 10 games played between them, the combined Welsh record is one win, one draw and eight defeats.