It was a happy return for Wasps' Lawrence Dallaglio, but the Irish are still toasting absent friends with the half-back pairing of All Black Stephen Bachop and Natal's Kevin Putt not expected until next month.

The Exiles' director of rugby, Dick Best, acknowledged that the team now playing is merely in an embryonic phase and the missing pair will provide the key to the future. They'll also bring the number of new recruits since last season to 19. "It is not surprising there is not a lot of shape to the side," he said. "We are learning out there on the hoof and it is proving a costly experience." His opposite number, Nigel Melville, was happy to have got away with a win before the Irish are further strengthened. "Others who have to play here will find it's not easy." Melville was happy with the performance of last season's England captain Dallaglio returning after a serious shoulder injury.

While there was aspects of the performance the player himself wasn't happy with, including a too-low tackle count, it was an encouraging return. "He came back straight into a Premiership game; that is the measure of the guy," said Melville. "He did well to play as physically as he did in a tough environment. He enjoyed himself and it's good he is back." Certainly James Brown, the Irish fly-half, was made painfully aware of the back row's presence after a thumping tackle.

And a Dallaglio hand-off on Peter Richards - the last word in a long-running feud between the two - saw the scrum half depart. The game itself was aptly summed up by Melville as "not pretty at times." The Irish could look at 19 penalties conceded as a major factor in their defeat. A problem Best is desperate to rectify.

After an early penalty for Niall Woods it was Wasps who took the advantage establishing a 14-point lead by the first quarter thanks to tries for Laurence Scrase and Paul Volley. But when Dallaglio was penalised the Irish kicked for touch and from the line-out the forwards drove. Woods came off his wing to score the try. A long-range penalty by Conor O'Shea meant the Irish were only four points adrift at the break.

A Woods penalty and a try for Brendan Venter when he broke from a ruck and caught defenders napping gave the Irish the lead. But it was to be short-lived.