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A last-minute try by Billy Vunipola from a driving maul saved Saracens’ unbeaten record just as a rejuvenated London Irish had seemed set to pull off a remarkable comeback win from 20-7 down.
Irish’s flying wing Alex Lewington was their hero, scoring a hat-trick of tries. Blair Cowan also crossed, the impressive Shane Geraghty kicking the rest of the points.
Saracens were ahead after only 50 seconds when Vunipola’s charge created a try for Tim Streather. Owen Farrell converted and added a penalty, but Irish responded with an excellent try by Blair after Geraghty’s clever chip.
Sarries scored a second try when Richard Wigglesworth spotted a gap to run 25 metres, Farrell converting for 20-7.
2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in picturesShow all 39 1 /392014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Sale Sharks 25 Wasps 14 Tom Arscott goes over for Sale’s opening try against Wasps at the AJ Bell Stadium
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Newcastle 29 Exeter 25 Tom Catterick (left) celebrates his try for Newcastle
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Bath 21 Saracens 11 Jonathan Joseph (right) clashes with Chris Ashton of Saracens after scoring Bath’s first try. Ashton was sent to the sin bin
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Leicester Tigers 19 London Irish 22 London Irish fly-half Shane Geraghty kicks the winning penalty
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Northampton Saints 31 Bath 24 Dylan Hartley is tackled by Stuart Hooper
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Saracens 40 Sale Sharks 19 Alex Goode scores for Saracens
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Newcastle 10 Northampton 35 George North scores Saints’ fourth try at Newcastle
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Newcastle 10 Northampton 35 Will Hooley marked his third Premiership start with a try, two conversions and three penalties
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Bath 45 Leicester 0 Bath players celebrate a try in their crushing 45-0 win over old foes Leicester
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Harlequins 26 Wasps 23 Mike Brown attempts to break through the tackle of Tom Varndell
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Sale 46 London Welsh 8 Luke Arscott scores one of his three tries against the Exiles
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures London Irish 32 Saracens 36 Billy Vunipola crashed over for the match-winning try in the final seconds of the match
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Wasps 20-16 Northampton Ashley Johnson breaks away from Stephen Myler to score Wasps’ first try against Northampton
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Wasps 20-16 Northampton Tom Varndell holds off the tackle of Saints' Lee Dickson
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Newcastle 18-20 London Irish Shane Geraghty of London Irish reacts first to a loose ball as Newcastle Falcons’ Mark Wilson is forced to take evasive action
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Exeter Chiefs 20 Leicester Tigers 20 Julian Salvi is tackled as he attempts to break the Exeter defensive line
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Exeter Chiefs 20 Leicester Tigers 20 Richard Cockerill looks on despite finding it a frustrating game to watch
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Bath 53 London Welsh 26 Peter Browne is congratulated by his team-mates after going over for London Welsh
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Bath 53 London Welsh 26 Anthony Watson crashes over to extend the lead
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Bath 53 London Welsh 26 Semesa Rokoduguni celebrates scoring a try for Bath
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Gloucester 34 Sale Sharks 27 Chris Cusiter attempts to break away for Sale
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Gloucester 34 Sale Sharks 27 Jonny May breaks free as he leads the Gloucester fightback
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Gloucester 34 Sale Sharks 27 Yann Thomas and Henry Trinder celebrate after the former scores a try
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Harlequins 0 Saracens 39 Chris Aston celebrates scoring a try against Harlequins as Sarries crushed their opponents at the Twickenham Stoop
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures London Welsh 0 Exeter 52 Chrysander Botha (left) of Exeter Chiefs celebrates his try with team mate Matt Jess
2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures London Welsh 0 Exeter 52 Ian Whitten crosses for one of Exeter Chiefs’ seven tries against London Welsh
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures London Irish 15 Harlequins 20 Joe Marler is sent to the sin-bin
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures London Irish 15 Harlequins 20 Ollie Lindsay-Hague scores for Harlequins
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Sale 20 Bath 29 Danny Cipriani can't prevent Semesa Rokoduguni crashing over to put Bath out of sight
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Sale 20 Bath 29 Will Addison finds himself at the centre of a on-filed scrap between Sale and Bath players
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Sale 20 Bath 29 Will Addison of Sale is tackled by Anthony Watson of Bath
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Sale 20 Bath 29 George Ford gets the ball away despite the attentions of Danny Cipriani
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Saracens 34 Wasps 28 David Strettle celebrates scoring the match-winning try after sliding in to sink Wasps
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Saracens 34 Wasps 28 Saracens fans celebrate victory against Wasps
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Saracens 34 Wasps 28 David Strettle touches down to seal a 34-28 win for Saracens
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Saracens 34 Wasps 28 Christian Wade races clear of David Strettle to score for Wasps
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Northampton 53 Gloucester 6 Jon Fisher of Northampton celebrates after scoring their sixth try
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Northampton 53 Gloucester 6 George Pisi found with a touchdown at the sticks
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2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Northampton 53 Gloucester 6 George North scores for Northampton in their 53-6 rout of Gloucester
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Irish wouldn’t lie down, though, and it became the Lewington show as he crossed three times, first from a Chris Noakes cross-kick, then when racing on to Scott Steele’s chip, and finally when racing away from three defenders.
Goode kicked two penalties for the visitors to tie the scores at 29-29 but he missed other chances before Vunipola’s late effort, converted by Hodgson, broke Irish hearts.
Line-ups:
London Irish: A Fenby; A Lewington, F Mulchrone, S Geraghty, J Short; C Noakes, S Steele; T Court, D Paice, H Ailika, G Skivington (capt), J Sinclair, B Cowan, O Treviranus (K Low), L Narraway.
Saracens: A Goode; C Ashton, T Streather, B Barritt, C Wyles; O Farrell, R Wigglesworth; R Gill, J Gerge, K Longbottom, J Hamilton, A Hargreaves (capt), E Joubert, J Burger, B Vunipola.
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU).
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