DAVE Porecki scored his first hat-trick for London Irish as they ruthlessly dismantled Hartpury 59-5 in their RFU Championship Cup clash on Sunday afternoon, writes Richard Ashton.

After No. 8 Ofisa Treviranus made a powerful charge and Matt Williams scythed through the visitors defence early on, Exiles opened the scoring at Madejski Stadium with Porecki’s fifth-minute opener coming off the back of a trademark rolling maul.

The same tactic proved effective again shortly after, this time Australian prop Ollie Hoskins going over for his seventh try of a productive campaign.

The home side showed they had some class in the backs as well as the forwards with their third try, a brilliant break by inside centre Fergus Mulchrone ending with an inside ball to Scott Steele, the scrum-half going over next to the uprights.

Having converted Hoskins’ effort with a fine touch-line kick, young fly-half Jacob Atkins made no mistake with a far easier extra two points.

The try bonus-point was secured inside the opening quarter as Irish threatened to run riot, another slick move involving Topsy Ojo and Greig Tonks being finished in the left-hand corner by Italian international Luke McLean.

The hosts continued to score at more than a point a minute when Williams bagged a magnificent solo try.

The Academy star broke through a couple of tackles before showing good pace to dot down, having beaten more than a third of his opponents. Atkins converted and it was 31-0 after just 25 minutes.

Hartpury showed some resolve to limit Exiles to just one further score in the half, Porecki crossing for his second from close range.

The visitors started the second period brightly, but came up against an impressive Irish defence which did not give an inch.

With play back down the other end, Porecki twice came close to finishing his hat-trick, dropping the ball over the line from another maul and also being stopped just inched short.

Hartpury’s task became even tougher when Tom Seabrook was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle, and Irish ran in their first of three second-half scores on 50 minutes when a long pass found McLean in acres of space to go over in the corner. Another fine Atkins conversion made the score 45-0.

Porecki’s moment arrived in the 56th minute when yet another rolling maul could not be stopped by the beleagured Hartpury defence, the Australian hooker dotting down for his eighth try of the season - one more than his front-row colleague Hoskins.

Irish then turned defence into attack for their final score, which came from replacement Bryce Campbell in the 59th minute.

A big hit in the Irish 22 saw the ball turned over, and after man-of-the-match Mulchrone and Joj got it through the hands, American star Campbell raced clear from half-way to score. With Atkins landing his seventh successful kick from nine attempts, Declan Kidney’s men led 59-0 on the hour mark.

However, they were unable to add any further points to their tally, and it was the gutsy visitors who had the final word, full back Mike Wilson going over in the right-hand corner as time ticked away.

London Irish are now guaranteed a home quarter-final in the New Year.

London Irish: Tonks; Ojo, Williams, Mulchrone, McLean (Campbell, 51); Atkins, Steele (Meehan, 60); Hobbs-Awoyemi, Porecki (Fainga’a, 60), Hoskins (Chawatama, 51), Maddison (capt)(Van Der Merwe, 51), de Chaves, Gilsenan, Curtis-Harris, Treviranus

Subs not used: McNally, Myler

Hartpury: Wilcox; Seabrook, Leonard (Cochrane, 40), Edwards (Leeming, 60), Foley; Scully, Bolt; Merrey (Flook, 47), Stratford (Liney, 40), Harden (Thompson, 55), Quinn, Linsell (capt)(Kelland, 40), Langley (Stephenson, 31), Hinkley, Gilbert

Ref: Dean Richards