LONDON Irish maintained their 100% start to the Greene King IPA Championship season with a 36-12 bonus-point victory over newly-promoted Richmond at Madejski Stadium.

A brace from Blair Cowan coupled with further tries from Brendan McKibbin, Harry Elrington, Gerard Ellis and skipper for the day David Paice, secured maximum points for Nick Kennedy’s men.

The victory followed Irish's opening day win against Doncaster Knights and will strengthen their belief in their ability to return to the Aviva Premiership at the first attempt.

And while Exiles play their first game away from home this weekend, they are expected to make it three wins from three against a Bedford Blues side looking for their first victory of the season following defeats to Cornish Pirates and Jersey.

Irish stormed into a 14-0 lead inside the first 15 minutes thanks to a brace of tries.

Both came from a rolling maul as former England hooker Paice touched down on seven minutes with Cowan driven over the line soon after, Tommy Bell landing both conversions.

It proved to be a productive first half for Cowan who then crossed for his second try of the game after Ross Neal had put the Scotland international away.

Bell failed to add the extras, but Exiles were 19-0 up at the break and in control.

Irish began the second half where they had left off with replacement hooker Ellis dotting down from yet another rolling maul to secure the try bonus-point.

Scrum-half McKibbin was next to join in on the act, the Australian sprinting half the length of the pitch before crossing the whitewash. Bell missed the conversion but the hosts led 29-0.

Richmond, to their credit, refused to lie down and reduced the arrears when Sean O'Hagan notched their first try.

Another seven points soon followed after Irish saw Sebastien De Chaves sinbinned for persistent infringing at the ruck.

From the resulting penalty, Richmond won the lineout and flanker Jack Allcock powered over for a score which O'Hagan converted.

But Exiles had the final say when Academy graduate Elrington grabbed their sixth try of the day, with Bell adding the extras.

Irish: Tonks (Ransom 40), Neal (Ransom 22, 30), Mulchrone, Williams, Ojo, Bell, McKibbin (Allinson 75), Hobbs-Awoyemi (Elrington 62), Paice (c) (Ellis 24), Franks (Hoskins 54), Robson (Sexton 42, 54), De Chaves, Trayfoot, Cowan (Northcote-Green 62), Treviranus.