Home comforts key to Irish challenge

By PAUL REES

PREVIEW…

London Irish v Bristol

Today. Kick-off 3pm, Brentford Community Stadium

Benhard Janse van Rensburg believes home comforts can get London Irish climbing up the Premiership table and close in on the top four.

London Irish face Bristol in Brentford today. They started this weekend’s round of matches just two places and one point above the Bears, but only eight points behind Gloucester in fourth.

Six of their final nine matches are at home and they have only been beaten in front of their own supporters twice this season in the league and Champions Cup, to Gloucester by a point and Montpellier by five having played for more than half the match with 14 men following Agustin Creevy’s red card for a high tackle.

“If we make it difficult for teams coming to Brentford, we can string some wins together,” said centre van Rensburg, whose run of 30 successive appearances in the Premiership and the Champions and Challenges Cups ended at Gloucester last weekend when he was ruled out by a freak injury sustained at home.

“We showed against Saracens what we can do at home. They were unbeaten and the result against them lifted confidence. Our season is not close to being over and we have to believe. We can still make the top four and the result against Saracens was highlighted by what they did to Exeter the following week.”

Irish came close to gaining revenge at Gloucester last weekend only to be denied by a late Santi Carreras penalty in what was the lowest scoring match in the Premiership in 2022, the home side winning 8-6. Games against Bristol tend to see the scoreboard changing more frequently: the last

Van Rensburg added: “Both teams like to play an exciting brand of rugby and if the weather is kind, it should be another really good game. Like us, they believe they can make the play-offs and we want to make Brentford a fortress. We are very comfortable playing there.

“It was really disappointing to lose at Gloucester but it was another match which showed just how competitive the Premiership is. Take out the top two and the rest are separated by 10 points. You have to concentrate on the process and not think too much about the future.” Van Rensburg’s appearfour have produced 303 points.

Director of rugby Declan Kidney said: “If you look at the average points scored in our last few encounters, Sunday has all the makings of a good game of rugby. We are excited to be back at home for the second time this week and want to put in a ance run ended after he put his foot in it at home. “My partner was cleaning the kitchen and put some knives in a basket. I stepped in it and ended up needing five stitches in my foot. I could have had an injection to play against Gloucester, but it was just too uncomfortable to walk on.” Irish’s season has been one of hard luck stories: seven of their 10 defeats have been by five points or fewer and although they were doubled by Gloucester, the points difference between the sides over the two matches was three.

Aiming high: Benhard van Rensburg

PICTURES: Getty Images

DoR: Declan Kidney

“We have been unfortunate to be on the wrong side of so many tight games,” said van Rensburg. “One thing we need to improve is discipline (they have had three red cards in the last eight matches) because that plays a big part in close contests. We are a young side and we will learn.”

Van Rensburg is 25 but despite being one of Irish’s most consistent players, he has not attracted the attention of South Africa‘s selectors who used Premiership form to recall the Harlequins centre Andre Esterhuizen in 2021.

“It is any player’s dream to play for their country,” he said. “It will not be the end of the world if it does not happen and I would not regard it as failure. I always try to be the best I can be and if it happens, I would love it.”