ZURICH PREMIERSHIP Leeds (9) 16 Try: Snyman Con: Ross Pens: Ross 3 London Irish (0) 5 Try: Staniforth Att: 4,252

Fly-half Gordon Ross defied difficult muddy conditions to kick four goals from as many attempts.

But it was the effort of second rowers Chris Murphy and Tom Palmer which laid the platform for the victory.

Andre Snyman scored the hosts only try, racing clear from a quickly-taken tap penalty by scrum-half Alan Dickens.

Leeds defended superbly and showed exemplary discipline to keep dangerous marksman Mark Mapletoft at bay.

We let ourselves down, we let the club down and we let the supporters down - it's absolutely unacceptable London Irish coach Gary Gold

Mapletoft, who had landed seven penalties in the Exiles' Powergen Cup win over Saracens a week earlier, was wide with his solitary kick in the first half.

It's a massive win - we've a bit of momentum building and we're playing some direct rugby Leeds coach Phil Davies

And it was left to winger Scott Staniforth to score Irish's only points by touching down in the corner on 55 minutes.

The victory, in a game which is a dress rehearsal for the Powergen Cup semi-final at Headingley in March, puts Leeds up to ninth place in the Zurich Premiership table but leaves the Exiles hovering just above the relegation zone.

Leeds: Balshaw, Snyman, Christophers, Bell, Rees, Ross, Dickens, Shelley, Regan, Kerr, Murphy, Palmer, Morgan, Parks, Rigney.
Replacements: Gerber, Rawlinson, Uys, Dunbar, McMillan, Wright, Stimpson.

London Irish: Armitage, Staniforth, Appleford, Catt, Bishop, Mapletoft, Edwards, Hatley, Russell, Hardwick, Strudwick, Casey, Danaher, Dawson, Murphy.
Replacements: Durant, van der Walt, Roche, Kennedy, Reid, Mordt, Hodgson.