Crippled Exiles hold Harlequins

English Premiership: London Irish head coach Gary Gold said he was proud of his side after they held Harlequins to a 15-15 draw…

English Premiership: London Irish head coach Gary Gold said he was proud of his side after they held Harlequins to a 15-15 draw despite losing three front-row players during the game.

Gold, whose side are chasing a place in the Zurich Premiership wild-card play-offs with Quins, saw props Rob Hardwick (concussed) and Neal Hatley (calf injury) forced off inside the first five minutes.

Hooker Adrian Flavin had to stand in as replacement prop, though he has rarely played in that position. Then experienced hooker Naka Drotske aggravated a calf injury, forcing Irish to play uncontested scrums with no front-row players left on the bench.

But against the odds the spirited Exiles kept their noses ahead for most of the game thanks to five penalties from outhalf Barry Everitt.

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The Exiles must still play Gloucester and Newcastle but at the moment appear to have little cover in the pack.