By Billy Hamilton
January 29 2003

After our matches in the Heineken and Powergen Cups it is back to Zurich Premiership action this Sunday. We meet the team formerly known as Sale, the Sharks, as we try to continue our voyage back up the table and into the Heineken Cup qualification zone.

Sun 02 Feb at Madejski Stadium - KO 15:00

Match Preview

By Billy Hamilton

We go into this game in the knowledge that we have just one loss in their last five Premiership games. This was at table-topping Gloucester in November when we became only the second team to earn a losing bonus point at Kingsholm this season.

Sharks have won only one of their last six Premiership games played away from Heywood Road - a maximum points haul in a 32-25 win against London Wasps at Adams Park on 24 November.

In spite of this reassuring fact we must be remember that we have not beaten them in the Premiership since September 2000 (five matches ago).  The Sharks lie second in the table a comfortable five points ahead of Leeds in third place.  They also lead the league in the number of games in which they have picked up a try bonus point – five games.

We are on a roll at present, having only lost once in our last seven games, and we hope that this improved performance will continue this week.

Barry Everitt continues to be the leading scorer in the ZP with 202 points.  In second place is Bram van Straaten with 187 and Paul Grayson trails a distant third with 160.

 Summary of meetings between the teams in the Premiership

 Played                                  13
 London Irish Won                  3                       23.1%
 Sharks Won                          9                       69.2%
 Drawn                                   1                       7.7%
 Biggest Win for London Irish        26 - 3                  04 Dec 1999
 Biggest Win for Sharks              41 - 16                 01 Feb 1998
 
 London Irish top try scorer vs  Sharks            Justin Bishop           5 tries
 London Irish top points scorer vs  Sharks      Jarrod Cunningham       64 points
 Sharks top try scorer vs London  Irish            Pete Anglesea           3 tries
 Sharks top points scorer vs London Irish        Charlie Hodgson         57 points

  Previous Meetings
 Date                   Teams           Result  Venue            
 05 Oct 2002   London Irish vs Sharks   14 - 36 Heywood Road     
 05 May 2002   London Irish vs Sharks   32 - 36 Madejski Stadium 
 08 Dec 2001   London Irish vs Sharks   19 - 19 Heywood Road     
 10 Apr 2001   London Irish vs Sharks   18 - 43 Heywood Road     
 24 Sep 2000   London Irish vs Sharks   28 - 13 Madejski Stadium 
 23 Jan 2000   London Irish vs Sharks   31 - 24 Heywood Road     
 04 Dec 1999   London Irish vs Sharks   26 - 3  The Stoop        
 03 Apr 1999   London Irish vs Sharks   27 - 30 Heywood Road     
 07 Nov 1998   London Irish vs Sharks   25 - 31 The Avenue       
 01 Feb 1998   London Irish vs Sharks   16 - 41 Heywood Road