Irish to ask French for advice

London Irish are to get some help from their latest European victims as they prepare for the quarter-finals of the Parker Pen Shield away to Pau.

The Irish moved into the last eight at the expense of Dax when they scored in the fifth minute of injury time to gain a 28-28 draw against the French side.

"We have some friends at Dax who we have known for a few years and we will be talking to them, perhaps asking if they have videos of Pau," said Conor O'Shea, the Irish director.

The late touchdown by Irish wing Justin Bishop and a vital conversion from Barry Everitt,who also kicked seven penalties, kept the Exiles in business in Europe, but they were furious with Dax's tactics.

O'Shea said: "The reason we could not get any speed into the game was because the ball was being killed at every single breakdown."

Next Sunday, London Irish face Gloucester in the quarter-finals of the Powergen Cup when Gloucester visit the Madejski Stadium.

O' Shea said: "We have a triple task of league, Cup and Europe. Now we have to concentrate on Gloucester." Six English clubs have reached the last eight of the Parker Pen Shield and the Irish are the only one of them who will have to leave the country to try to make the semi-finals.

The quarter-final draw for the matches which will be be played on the weekend of the 26-27 January is: Saracens v Pontypridd, Pau v London Irish, Gloucester v Ebbw Vale, Sale v Bristol.

In the Heineken European Cup quarter finals on the same weekend, holders Leicester and former winners Bath are both at home.

The draw is: Leicester v Leinster, Bath v Llanelli, Stade Francais v Munster, Castres v Montferrand.

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