Dawson rounds off Exiles' overdue bonus-point win

Saracens 12 London Irish 3

London Irish clearly like Vicarage Road. Having left Watford with a quarter-final cup win last month, yesterday they earned their first try-scoring bonus point for 16 months.

London Irish clearly like Vicarage Road. Having left Watford with a quarter-final cup win last month, yesterday they earned their first try-scoring bonus point for 16 months.

Saracens had patiently established a lead, but the Exiles ran in four tries after the interval. The Irish bench went wild as Scott Staniforth scorched down the left wing and offloaded to his captain Kieron Dawson, who cantered over unopposed in the eighth minute of added time.

That try had been preceded by a gift five minutes earlier, when Glen Jackson's optimistic long pass was intercepted by the replacement lock Ryan Strudwick, who lumbered in from 25 metres for a converted try. Until that point Saracens, who had entered the game in seventh place, two higher than their opponents, had still been in touch, and more importantly had a bonus point for being there. Thereafter they fell apart and the defeat ended a four-match unbeaten run in the Premiership.

The first hour had given no clue as to the outcome, with the sides locked at 12-12. There had been some brilliant passages of play by Saracens in that period, but they all came to nought because they could not peel away enough layers of the Irish defence.

It had been little different for the Exiles, who dominated territorially.Saracens gave nothing away, other than a string of penalties. One early on was within Mark Mapletoft's range, and he missed it; in contrast Jackson landed all three of his kickable penalties in the first half and a final one a quarter of an hour into the second.

Eventually the Exiles began to reap the rewards of their expansive approach. True, Rod Penney's try was a close-range effort, the culmination of a spell of intense pressure. That was converted by Mapletoft. But the Irish try that levelled affairs was more exciting.

It was sparked by the replacement No 8 Roland Reid, who burst like a bullock through the middle. Mapletoft then found Staniforth and the winger raced over.

The replacement of Mapletoft with Barry Everitt helped ease Irish ahead, when the diminutive fly-half thumped over successive penalties, but Saracens were not out of it until Strudwick's timely interception of their solitary moment of carelessness.

Saracens: Penalties Jackson 4. London Irish: Tries Penney, Staniforth, Strudwick, Dawson; Conversions Mapletoft, Everitt; Penalties Everitt 2.

Saracens: M Bartholomeusz; B Johnston, T Castaignède, D Harris (K Sorrell, 57), T Vaikona; G Jackson, K Bracken (M Rauluni, 65); K Yates (N Lloyd, 67), M Cairns (R Ibañez, 47), C Visagie, K Chesney (S Raiwalui, 47), I Fullarton, T Randell, H Vyvyan (capt), D Seymour.

London Irish: M Horak; S Staniforth, R Penney, N Mordt, J Bishop; M Mapletoft (B Everitt, 61), D Edwards; N Hatley, R Russell, R Hardwick (P Durant, 80), N Kennedy, R Casey (R Strudwick, 77), P Gustard (D Danaher, 80), P Murphy (R Reid, 55), K Dawson (capt).

Referee: A Rowden (Berkshire).