Leeds Tykes continued their strong start to this year's Zurich Premiership season with a notable 41-16 victory over London Irish.

Last weekend it was champions Leicester who failed to live with a rejuvenated Leeds Tykes and on Saturday afternoon Powergen Cup holders London Irish perished as Braam Van Straaten turned in a faultless kicking performance.

The South African's metronomic boot yielded a 31-point return at Headingley, a new club record which included a monstrous effort from 55 metres.

Leeds saw off a dogged first-half display from Irish, before dominating as van Straaten landed nine penalties to equal the Premiership record set by Thierry Lacroix and Newcastle's Dave Walder.

The former Springbok also converted tries from Dan Hyde and Gordon Ross to set a new club record for points scored.

The result, and performance, marks another stage in the development of Leeds as a Premiership force after last week's 26-13 triumph over the Tigers.

Indeed, their opening try of the game was testament to the 'new Leeds' that director of rugby Phil Davies and head coach Jon Callard are working towards.

After 15 minutes of dogged, error-strewn forward play, Diego Albanese, bright on the left wing throughout, took a steepling ball 10 metres inside his own half and ploughed through into Irish territory.

The Argentine, a summer recruit from Gloucester, scrambled extra yards on the deck even after he had been brought down and from the ensuing ruck, Ross took the ball on the outside.

And Leeds made full use of the overlap and magnificent support play as the Scottish fly-half fed last week's try-hero Dan Scarbrough who, when stopped just yards from the line, offloaded for Hyde to crash over.

It was a scintillating break and one which belied much of the opening half's exchanges, which were dominated by the concession of needless penalties.

Irish were the more guilty and when Hyde touched down for Leeds, the home side already held a 6-3 lead, with Van Straaten's conversion opening up a 10-point advantage.

Leeds were given little time to settle as Michael Horak jinked his way through to score under the posts and reduce the deficit, but Van Straaten punished every Irish mistake as the Tykes went into the interval 19-13 ahead.

Barry Everitt did land a penalty either side of the interval, but Leeds began to find the composure, so evident last weekend, that had deserted them in the opening half.

And the hosts were in the ascendancy from the moment Irish wing Paul Sackey, who had threatened early in the first half, spurned the opportunity of a clear overlap and certain try to cut back in search of glory. All he found was a heavy throng of Leeds defenders and the threat was snuffed out.

From there, the Exiles offered little as Leeds strode away to victory with Van Straaten slotting over five second half penalties to etch his name alongside the likes of Wendell Sailor in the club's record books.

The lead could have been greater had Ross not misjudged a cross-field chip to George Harder on the wing.

But there was still time for Ross to make amends and with a clever jink inside leaving Horak leaden footed the Scot had a clear run under the posts to hand Van Straaten the opportunity to round off the scoring with his boot. He duly obliged.