Four and a half years ago, on 16 May 2009, London Irish came within a point of winning the Premiership. Almost six years on, the list of alumni that have passed through their ranks but moved on to greater things makes for bleak reading for their fans.
The Armitage brothers, Sailosi Tagicakibau, Alex Corbisiero, Tom Homer and Adam Thompstone all played in the 9-10 loss to Leicester that day, but have since left the club. When you add Jonathan Joseph, Jamie Gibson, Marland Yarde, Anthony Watson to that list, you get a sense of how good their team could be now.
But the man that captained London Irish on that fateful May day in 2009 is once again leading the charge towards the top. Bob Casey became synonymous with the club during his time there, winning 129 caps over an Irish Exile career that spanned 10 years. Three years after his retirement, he is at the helm once again, but in an entirely different capacity.
“We have a really loyal bunch of supporters and unfortunately their patience has been tested over the last three years through the performances on the pitch,” admits Casey, now London Irish Operations Director.
“Over the last few months, though, our performances have really picked up through Glenn Delaney and the rest of the staff, and we’re determined to go out against Newcastle and put in a big performance for the fans.”
They play the Falcons in the traditional St Patrick’s Day fixture on Saturday, hoping to carry on the party after an Irish Six Nations win last weekend. In the context of this season it is a big fixture, with Newcastle tucked in just behind them in the table, but really there is a sense that the sooner this season is over, the better, for the Exiles.
The decision to let top talent Tom Homer leave half way through the season raised a few eyebrows, but some of the names they have recruited for next season – most notably All Black prop Ben Franks and Scotland’s kilted Kiwi Sean Maitland – have sent fissures of excitement through the fan-base.
“We believe we’ve got the right characters – we’ve done a lot of homework on them as individuals. They’re the right players to take us forward,” adds Casey.
Throw in a new coaching staff headed up by Tom Coventry, who is currently helping Kiwi flyers the Waikato Chiefs do great things in Super Rugby, and you have the ingredients to get Irish back to where they were a few short seasons ago. There is a palpable excitement surrounding the club, which has stemmed from the new owners, who took over a little over a year ago.
“The new owners, who are first and foremost passionate about London Irish, have invested in people and in the club, and it’s allowed us to do what we’re doing. But we’re under no illusions; it’s going to be a big task.
“We’ve signed a lot of new players and a whole new coaching team, and we have a new structure in place for next season, but we’ve got to give this all time to gel and move this club forward.”
Casey is part of a committee that also features former Exiles Nick Kennedy, Barry Everitt and Jo Ansbro, who often meet to “thrash things out” and discuss how best to move the club forward. The affinity with the club that those four men feel is perhaps something that has been missing in the past, and in the shape of Casey, they have someone that lives and breathes London Irish.
It might not happen overnight, but with new owners who seem committed to the cause (a recent visit to their new, shiny 63 acre training base at Hazelwood confirmed this) and Casey steering the ship, the future looks bright for London Irish.
By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43
This season’s London Irish St Patrick’s Party will take place on March 28th 2015 when Irish take on Newcastle Falcons in the Aviva Premiership. The Fan Village opens from 11am with live music, a funfair, chances to win fantastic prizes and of course plenty of Guinness. Kick-off is at 3pm and the ever popular Bible Code Sundays will sing us into the night in The Village post-match. For tickets call 0118 968 1016 or visit www.London-irish.com.
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images