Mark McCall's admission as Saracens unbeaten run derailed

Saracens boss Mark McCall described his side as “rattled and distracted” as they lost their unbeaten record in this season’s Gallagher Premiership to London Irish and also the chance to make club history.

After a run of nine consecutive victories, runaway Premiership leaders Saracens needed just one more to secure their best ever run.

However, in a feisty encounter at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium, which saw red cards for Irish lock Adam Coleman and visiting flanker Ben Earl, a ragged Saracens were continually on the wrong side of the referee Matt Carley.

Both sides scored two tries each but Saracens’ ill-discipline saw fly-half Paddy Jackson kick five penalties for Irish. He also converted both tries scored by Ollie Hassell-Collins and Chandler Cunningham-South as the Exiles claimed a memorable 29-20 win.

Kapeli Pifeti and Sean Maitland crossed for Saracens with Owen Farrell kicking two penalties and two conversions, but it was not enough to prevent the league pacesetters from suffering a shock defeat.

Saracens director of rugby McCall had few complaints about the result, admitting Irish fully deserved the win, but he was far from impressed with his side’s performance.

He said: “Hats off to Irish as they were by far the better team. We never played with any energy and were well off the pace.

“Our decision-making was poor and we allowed ourselves to be rattled and distracted.

“When they went down to 12, you have to find a way to score but we didn’t as our skill levels weren’t accurate enough.

“Irish have been unfortunate to lose in a number of great games this season and their league position is false.

“I’d like to have a look again at Ben’s dismissal as it felt like it was very low and their player’s momentum was going to the floor.”

Despite a run of poor results, London Irish director of rugby Declan Kidney never doubted his side’s ability to come good.

He said: “We didn’t get too despondent as I knew we weren’t far away.

“In adversity it’s very easy to start doubting yourselves but I never did with this group.

“It was some game to watch with lots of ebbs and flows and the match was won on tight margins.

“We are learning how to win, and tonight will help us a lot with that but one swallow doesn’t make a summer.

“Our boys had a bit to prove tonight whereas Sarries were coming off two good wins in Europe so that may have helped us a bit.”

London Irish flanker Tom Pearson was man of the match and he must have impressed new England coach Steve Borthwick, who was watching his first live match since being appointed to the post.

Pearson said: “It has been coming for a few weeks now, we’ve had so many close results and we sort of got use to the rhetoric of not just doing enough but to do enough tonight against an unbeaten team is no better feeling.

“It was a crazy match as two red cards in the game just shows you need to expect the unexpected as it never goes to the game plan and you just have to work with how the 80 minutes develops.”