A YOUHTFUL London Irish side made it eight consecutive wins to start the season as they overcame Connacht Eagles 34-3 in the British & Irish Cup.

After Conor McKeon and Greig Tonks traded a penalty apiece, Exiles loose-head prop Harry Elrington crossed for the first try of the contest midway through the first half.

Irish gathered clean ball at the line-out to set up a driving maul, with Elrington touching down before Tonks’ sublime touchline conversion gave his side a 10-3 advantage.

Four minutes later the hosts registered their second try, an overthrow at the line-out from the visitors allowing skipper Conor Gilsenan to pounce on the ball and provide the platform for Australian prop Ollie Hoskins to crash over.

Tonks’ simple conversion from directly in front of goal extended Irish’s lead to 17-3.

With Elrington and Hoskins both getting their names in lights, hooker Jason Harris-Wright completed a front-row hat-trick just short of the half hour mark as he burrowed his way over the line following yet another driving maul.

With half-time approaching, Connacht created their first major attack of the game when a sweeping move had Irish scrambling in numbers to prevent the try, but Irish managed to turn the ball over and immediately had their opponents on the back-foot as they went in search of the try bonus point.

However, the Exiles’ exuberance got the better of them as Senitiki Nayalo saw yellow for a high tackle with the last play of the first half.

Irish were reduced to 14 men once more with Tom Parton yellow-carded for a professional foul at the breakdown.

A man light, Irish stood firm to heavy pressure from Connacht, before the returning former Wellington College student crossed in the corner to secure the bonus point.

Tonks’ inch-perfect cross-field kick found the converted full-back, who showed excellent footwork to sidestep his marker on his way to the whitewash. Tonks increased his side’s lead to 29-3 with the extras from out wide.

And three minutes from time Cokanasiga got his reward for a superb display, stretching over in the corner after the ball was switched from left to right.

League leaders Irish return to Greene King IPA Championship action this Saturday when they travel to London Scottish (3pm).

London Irish: Parton, Fowlie, M.Williams, Neal (Hearn 57), Cokanasiga, Tonks, Murphy (Allinson 53), Elrington (Hay 77), Harris-Wright (Gleave 77), Hoskins (Palframan 53), Lloyd, Sexton, Cooke (Frost 76), Gilsenan (c), Nayalo.