WE’VE ROUNDED UP the Irish involvement in the professional leagues in England, France and Italy over the weekend.
Aviva Premiership
Peter Stringer and Sale rose to sixth in the Premiership with a 29-17 win over struggling Bath yesterday, with the 38-year-old completing the full 80 minutes again for Steve Diamond’s side.
Stringer’s passing was as crisp as ever as the Sharks notched a bonus point with their four tries. The Cork man extended his deal with Sale earlier this season and will play on into 2017.
A 22-12 win for Mark McCall‘s league-leading Saracens over Conor O’Shea‘s Harlequins means the latter drop to seventh as Sale make their jump up the table with two regular season rounds remaining [Sharks also have a game in hand still to play].
Former Leinster centre Brendan Macken played just over 20 minutes off the bench in Wasps’ 54-35 victory over Worcester, a game in which wing Christian Wade scored six tries.
24-year-old Macken was making his eighth league appearance of the season, three of which have been starts, and has scored one try for Wasps.
On the defeated Warriors team was veteran lock Donncha O’Callaghan, while former Ireland U20 and Ulster hooker Niall Annett was a second-half replacement as he made his 19th league appearance of the season.
A 16-9 defeat away to David Humphreys‘ Gloucester on Friday night meant Exeter dropped below Wasps into fourth. Gareth Steenson kicked all nine of the Chiefs’ points, while former Ulsterman Ian Whitten was at inside centre.
JJ Hanrahan played 10 minutes off the bench for Northampton as they were beaten 30-24 at home by Leicester. Stephen Myler was again preferred at out-half to the former Munster playmaker, who has made a total of 22 appearances for the Saints in all competitions this season, seven of them in the starting XV.
Newcastle Falcons had a hugely important 13-6 win at home against relegation rivals London Irish on Sunday, with the Exiles now appearing set to drop into the Championship next season.
Former Ireland U20 hooker George McGuigan, who will join Leicester in the summer, started for the Falcons, while ex-Ireland international Tom Court was at loosehead for London Irish.
Lock Jerry Sexton, on loan with the Exiles from Exeter, made his fifth league appearance off the bench.
GK IPA Championship
Bristol maintained their dominant position at the top of the English Championship with a 24-22 victory against Kevin Maggs‘ Moseley on Friday night, with ex-Leinster loosehead Jack O’Connell appearing off the bench.
Though there is one regular season game remaining in the Championship, the semi-final places have already been decided. O’Connell and Bristol will meet Bedford Blues over two legs on 1 May and 8 May.
The Blues confirmed their top-four place with a losing bonus point in their 28-24 defeat away to second-placed Doncaster Knights on Saturday. Mark Flanagan, formerly of Leinster and Mont-de-Marsan, made his 16th start for the club in the second row.
The Knights’ three-try win was guided once again by Irish halfback pair Michael Heaney and Declan Cusack. Ex-Munster out-half Cusack kicked two conversions and three penalties as the club secured its highest-ever league finish.
Doncaster will face Yorkshire Carnegie over two legs in the semi-finals. The Knights have announced the signing of Rotherham fullback Sean Scanlon ahead of next season, with the 27-year-old having been superb for the Titans since joining from Munster in 2013.
Scanlon was a replacement in Rotherham’s 22-17 defeat at home to London Scottish on Saturday, with Ali Birch, ex-Cork Con man Willie Ryan and Michael Keating in the starting XV. Former Leinster wing Keating scored two tries in the defeat.
Peter Lydon was integral to London Scottish’s victory, scoring a try, two conversions and a penalty from out-half. The former Stade Français man recently extended his deal with the London club into next season.
Ex-Lansdowne and Leinster A hooker Tyrone Moran featured off the bench for Scottish, making his eighth league appearance of his debut season in the Championship.
Jersey suffered a 30-24 loss away to Ealing Trailfinders on Saturday, when former Ulsterman Ross Adair made his 19th start of the season at fullback in a team that also included ex-Leinster prop Sean McCarthy.
The Cornish Pirates and London Welsh played out a 38-38 draw yesterday, with ex-Ulster out-half Kieran Hallett used off the bench by the Pirates.
Former Leinster A centre Ben Woods, Connacht-bound prop Conor Carey and ex-Leinster wing Sam Coghlan Murray all started in Nottingham’s 37-27 defeat away to Yorkshire Carnegie.
Top 14
Bernard Jackman‘s Grenoble were unable to follow up their Challenge Cup win over Connacht with further success as play-off hopefuls Castres won 33-28 at Stade des Alpes on Friday night.
Impressive centre Chris Farrell was in the 13 shirt again as Grenoble slipped to 10th in the Top 14.
Paddy Butler and James Coughlan were powerless to stop Toulon from winning 25-9 at Stade de Hameau on Saturday, though they are safely positioned 11th in the league and will avoid relegation.
Prop Dave Ryan made his 18th appearance of the season in Pro D2-bound Agen’s 38-10 defeat away to Clermont on Saturday, while Racing 92 and Ronan O’Gara suffered a 14-3 loss on the road in Toulouse to drop to fourth.
Pro D2
Former Ulster and London Irish man Conor Gaston was at fullback as Aurillac were beaten 26-18 away to Dax on Friday night in France’s second division.
Jeremy Davidson‘s men remain on course for a promotion play-off place, however, another outstanding achievement by the ex-Ireland lock given the club’s relatively small budget.
National Championship of Excellence
Ian McKinley kicked a penalty from out-half in Viadana’s 35-18 victory over San Dona, but was forced off the pitch injured after the first quarter.
Elsewhere, former Crosshaven and Dolphin prop James Rochford made his 16th appearance of the season as Lazio suffered a 30-13 defeat at home to Petrarca.
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