Kidney backs struggling Irish to find form in huge Wasps clash

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Director of rugby Declan Kidney admits last Friday’s gut-wrenching defeat by Gloucester was a hammer blow for his out-of-form London Irish side who face Wasps in their final home match of the season on Saturday.

A Billy Twelvetrees penalty after time expired sealed a 30-28 for the Cherry and Whites and inflicted a fifth successive Premiership defeat on the Exiles, who, despite their recent struggles, remain inside the top-eight which would secure European Champions Cup qualification next season.

Wasps sit one place below Irish in eighth, but with only five points separating seventh spot and second-bottom Newcastle, Saturday’s clash at Brentford has become a must-win encounter for a club looking to return to the top table of European club rugby for the first time since 2012.

“It was one to keep you awake at night that was for sure, but you analyse on Monday what you should have done better and then have to move on,” Kidney said.

“But we’ve always said the league position will look after itself depending on how we go.

“On the upside, we have managed to pick up (bonus) points in the last few weeks which have put us in a position to still be there and it just shows how competitive the league is, anybody can beat anybody on any given day.

“We all want to be part of big matches and games like Saturday are a great experience for our lads.

“The most important thing in matches that are meaningful like this, is to be able to control your emotions and your temperament when under pressure.”

Irish’s recent struggles have been in complete contrast to their form after Christmas which saw them briefly rise to third place on the table and Kidney believes those performances are not too far away again from his players.

“When we were winning games just after Christmas we were never running away with them and now we are losing matches it is the same, I don’t think we are too far off the mark now,” he said.

“It’s like life, it’s swings and roundabouts and I think things will turn for us because the players have the right attitude and I cannot speak highly enough off them.”