London Welsh cemented their place in the top half of the table with a hard fought win over Plymouth Albion at Brickfields on Saturday.

Two Gordon Ross penalties gave Welsh a 6-3 half-time lead after Alex Davies had given Albion the lead, but second half tries from Errie Claassens and Hudson Tonga’uiha saw the Exiles take control.

Albion threatened a fight back when George Porter was driven over and Welsh replacement Epi Taione was sinbinned, but the only score during the Tongan internationals absence came via a Simon Whatling drop goal and Welsh saw the game out to follow up last weekends bonus-point win over Birmingham & Solihull.

An error strewn first half saw Welsh under early pressure as a super kick from Davies took Albion to within five metres of the Exiles’ line. Rory Watts-Jones read Marc Breeze’s deep line out throw and the home side poured on the pressure with Sione Tu’ipulotu weaving his way over the tryline, only to be driven back by some excellent last ditch Welsh defence.

A breathtaking start continued with Paul Mackey and Hudson Tonga’uiha combining only for the ball to spill loose and for Robin Copeland to gallop away down the left hand touchline. The Albion debutant had Ben Mercer in support on his inside, but Mackey got back to put in a try saving tackle.

Somewhat against the run of play, a penalty for not rolling away gave Ross the chance to open the scoring, but the Welsh fly half saw his kick drift to the left of the uprights.

Ruairi Cushion’s grubber clever kick into space found its recipient, Mercer, but the Albion wing was forced into touch by the combined efforts of Errie Claassens and Josh Drauniniu.

Albion had enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, but Welsh were gifted good field position when Gavin O’Meara’s lineout throw was adjudged not straight. >From the scrum Hudson Tonga’uiha broke into the Albion 22 and Liam Gibson was tackled just short of the line.

Welsh, playing with the advantage, could find no way through when they spread the ball wide, and when play was brought back for the penalty, the Exiles opted for the scrum only for Gibson to be bundled into touch.

Davies was targeting the Welsh left flank with his boot and one such cross field kick very nearly found its target but the ball was just too high for Mercer to haul in. Minutes later, though, the Albion fly half was stepping up to give the home side the lead after Welsh were caught offside.

A penalty for hands in the ruck, as Errie Claassens took play into the home sides 22, gave Ross a second sight of the Albion posts and this time he made no mistake to level the scores.

An excellent spell of possession rugby by Welsh, which saw the Exiles march their way up field, ended with Ross then nudging the Exiles ahead after Rory Watts-Jones was adjudged offside.

Albion were immediately back in the Welsh 22, though, and piling on the pressure once more as Welsh failed to secure the kick off and Copeland drove on. Johnny Coleman threatened to dance his way through under the posts before Copeland popped up again in the line only to this time knock the ball on with the line beckoning.

It was a first half in which defences dominated and Welsh, while not firing in attack, showed exactly why they’d only seen their line breached justonce in the league before arriving at Brickfields.

Truck and trailer denied the Welsh forwards what seemed an inevitable try as they powered their way towards the Albion tryline at the start of the second half, but Welsh kept up the pressure only to be held up over the Albion line.

It was a temporary reprieve for the home side as from the resulting scrum Errie Claassens burst into the line and just had enough strength to touch down at the base of the right post. Ross added the extras and Welsh had daylight.

The downside for Welsh was losing Mackey to injury in the build up, with Simon Whatling taking his place at inside centre.

Welsh were on top and having powered their way back into the Albion 22 Whatling’s lovely inside pass to Drauniniu saw the former Exeter wing jinx his way up to the line and Tonga’uiha picked up and dived over.

The game seemed Welsh’s for the taking but Albion’s reply was swift as a good drive by their forwards ended with prop George Porter emerging with the ball and Davies added the conversion to add new life to a match that the Exiles seemed to have grasped by the throat.

Welsh were then reduced to 14-men when Epi Taione was yellow carded for a shoulder charge on Steven Johns, but the Exiles escaped further punishment on the scoreboard as Davies’ kick went wide.

But far from being pushed back, Michael Hill’s snaking run took the Exiles back into Albion territory and Whatling had time to stroke over a well taken drop goal to ease any Welsh nerves.

Taione returned to the field with Welsh defending a five-metre scrum after another charging run from Copeland, but the Welsh pack got the drive on, winning the ball against the head and with it went the home sides hopes of a losing bonus-point.

Plymouth Albion Scorers: Try: Porter; Con: Davies; Pen: Davies.

London Welsh Scorers: Tries: Claassens, Tonga’uiha; Con: Ross; Pens: Ross (2); Drop: Whatling.

Plymouth Albion: Sione Tu’ipulotu, Ben Mercer, Cameron Mitchell, Steven Johns, Johnny Coleman, Alex Davies, Ruairi Cushion, George Porter, Gavin O’Meara, Ryan Hopkins,Tyler Hotson, Robin Copeland, Sean-Michael Stephen ©, Rory Watts-Jones, Aaron Carpenter.

Replacements: Gareth Evans for O’Meara (65min), Fionn McLoughlin for Coleman (67min), Tom Skelding for Hotson (78min), Tom Kessell for Cushion 79(min), Kane Newport for Hopkins (80min), Sam Hocking for Stephen (80+6min).

Replacements not used: Mark Manton

London Welsh: Errie Claassens, Liam Gibson, Paul Mackey, Hudson Tonga’uiha, Josh Drauniniu, Gordon Ross, Ben Stevenson, Shawn Pittman, Marc Breeze, Lorne Ward, Matt Corker, Martin Purdy, Jon Mills, Michael Hills, Ben Russell.

Replacements: Simon Whatling for Mackey (48min), Michael Holford for Ward (61min), Saul Nelson for Breeze (63min), Nick Runciman for Stevenson (68min), Epi Taione for Russell (17min), Dan Williams for Mills (77min).

Replacement not used: Paul Sampson

Yellow card: Epi Taione (72min)

Officials: Ref – D. Gamage; TJ’s S. McConnell and R. Parker-Sedgemore

Half-time: 3-6

Attendance: 2,010