LONDON Irish made it a perfect 10 victories in all competitions as they smashed Yorkshire Carnegie 41-17 in their top-of-the-table Greene King IPA Championship showdown at Madejski Stadium, writes Richard Ashton.

The two sides were both unbeaten heading into the contest, but it was Exiles who were a class apart in a five-try display which sends out a strong warning to the rest of the division.

It was actually the visitors who went ahead inside the opening five minutes, Irish penalised for illegally halting a driving maul and Joe Ford – brother of England fly half George – landing the kick.

It did not take the hosts long to hit back, though ,producing a superb move to open their try-scoring account for the day.

The ball went through the hands before Fergus Mulchrone made the initial break, and well supported by Blair Cowan, the ball made its way to Ben Ransom who went over next to the posts. Tommy Bell continued his kicking masterpiece of the London Scottish game to make it 7-3.

Another chance followed shortly after, only for Sebastian De Chaves to drop the ball when there were men over to score. However, a Bell penalty extended the lead to 10-3.

Irish’s second score owed much to the precocious talent of 18-year-old star Joe Cokanasiga. The powerful wing appeared to be heading into touch, only to produce a brilliant inside pass which was collected by Aseli Tikoirotuma to go over in the right-hand corner. Bell’s sensational touchline conversion kept the hosts moving.

Yet they gave Carnegie a way back into the game almost straight away. Ofisa Treviranus and Gerard Ellis both made fine runs, but the latter then threw a loopy pass which was picked off by Jonah Holmes for an intercept try. In truth, with men over, had Irish kept the ball they should have been in themselves, but Ford’s straight-forward conversion meant it was 17-10 at the break.

Carnegie started the second half strongly, with Irish wobbling for the opening 10 minutes as their play became more scrappy – Bell even missing a penalty attempt.

However, their defence held firm before Bell atoned with a monstrous strike from inside his own half, and with a 10-point lead, Exiles relaxed.

They made the game safe with a third try, coming off the back of a driving maul which was only just halted. However, irish recycled the ball well and Ransom expertly finished off the move in the left-hand corner. Bell again struck a fantastic conversion.

From there it was all about the bonus point, and Nick Kennedy’s men did not have to wait long. A simple move from the back of a scrum five metres out allowed replacement scrum half to find stand off James Marshall, and the Kiwi man of the match sauntered over under the posts. Bell converted before Marshall completed a quick-fire double with another score, this time to the right of the uprights. Bell added the extras and it was 41-10.

With the Irish crowd in fine voice, Carnegie did have the final word as Holmes found a gap in the Exiles defence to bag a late consolation. It was, though, far too little too late on a chastening day for the visitors.

London Irish are now six points clear at the top of the table ahead of a trip to Cornish Pirates on Saturday, November 19.