LONDON Irish lost 37-14 at home to Edinburgh in their opening European Challenge Cup clash on Saturday.
Nick Kennedy's men put in a gutsy display at Madejski Stadium but made too many mistakes on the day.
Ollie Hoskins scored Irish's only try of the afternoon, with Theo Brophy Clews adding three penalties.
But the Scottish visitors always had the edge over the Exiles after they ran in five tries of their own with a brace from Junior Rasolea and one each from Damien Holroyd, John Ritchie and Luke Crosbie.
Exiles forward Lasha Lomidze bursts through the Edinburgh defence. Pictures by David M.Moore.
London Irish have now lost six games in a row in all competitions, with their opening-day victory over Harlequins in the Aviva Premiership their only success so far.
Kennedy said: "At this level, you only need to make one error and you will be punished.
“We’ve learnt that already this season and we’re working very hard to minimise those mistakes.
“When we were trailing by five points, we needed to capitalise on the pressure that we put on Edinburgh and we were unable to make it count. That moment was a turning point for us and Edinburgh took charge after that.
Theo Brophy Clews takes aim from the kicking tee.
“We conceded two quick tries at the end and fair play to Edinburgh for taking those scores well. They ended the game well and deserved the win.”
It doesn't get any easier for Kennedy's men either as they face a trip to reigning champions Stade Francais this Saturday (7.45pm).
“Everyone is looking forward to the Stade Francais game," addd Kennedy.
“Playing in France is always a test both mentally and physically for any professional rugby player and we’re relishing the prospect of playing against a quality team in a hostile environment.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here