Rugby European Cup: Gavin Cummiskeyreports from London on a club whose culture is based on an expansive game
The recent World Cup dragged rugby back to the dark ages with a kicking game adopted by most to heap pressure on the opposition. Basically, belt the ball long, albeit with precision, á la Juan Hernandez, and wait for the error count to rack up.
London Irish remain a beacon-like club by aiming to buck this trend. "Our trademark as a club is to play an expansive game and prove you can be successful doing that," says director of rugby Brian Smith.
"One of the disappointing things from the World Cup was Argentina winning that first match by playing a kick-chase game. Even teams like Samoa began to replicate it.
"I don't know if it's a romantic notion but I think you can be bold and still have success. I'd like London Irish to be one of the teams who are successful playing a skilful game."
They achieved a perfect start to the Heineken European Cup by destroying the Dragons down in Newport last weekend, earning the bonus point within a half hour to ensure 10 points from two matches. With Ulster a lame duck, Leinster and Munster losing first-up away games, talk has already begun about the Thames Valley-based club being the only Irish representatives making the knockout stages this season.
The reality of modern rugby forced London Irish to become a neatly packaged commodity. They are still the Exiles but not just in an Irish sense anymore. Granted, Kildare-native Bob Casey is club captain and Smith, an Aussie by birth, was capped at outhalf for his adopted country but the rest are from all over the globe. Eight countries in fact.
Irish sounding names are still prevalent but Nick Kennedy, Kieran Roche, Declan Danagher and Shane Geraghty all plumped for England ahead of their ancestral home when it came to international allegiance. It was a simple choice when they saw how Casey was treated by the national coach since arriving from Leinster.
The other Irish players on the books - Aidan McCullen, Jeremy Staunton and Eoghan Hickey - have yet to establish themselves in the first XV.
Anyway, London Irish are on a roll. The poor early-season Premiership form can be dismissed as Argentina backrower Juan Leguizamon and English halfback pairing Peter Richards and Mike Catt are back in harness after respective World Cup odysseys.
Catt has also been promoted to player coach since returning from France while Australian Peter Hewat and All Black prop Clarke Dermody have added an established place kicker and gnarled scrummager to the repertoire.
Off-field expansion also continued with chief executive Ian Taylor announcing two new commercial partners yesterday with airline Cityjet and web-based company Ezylet.
"Commercially, recent results give me a much stronger platform," said Taylor yesterday. "In terms of recognition of what the players and coaches have achieved you have to take that on to the European stage. We came third two seasons ago but not a lot of notice was taken of London Irish.
"If we made a quarter- or semi-final of the Heineken Cup, people will start saying this is a club with real ambition.
"Munster have done it over a number of years by getting to a number of finals before that great day in Cardiff. To do that you have to build a squad and then I must build the business to pay for it.
"We don't have a sugar daddy chairman like some clubs so we must work off our partners. To retain the likes of Mike Catt in a coaching capacity you need new investment. I think we are getting there. We've got to grow not only the professional performance but the belief and support in London Irish and that means growing a new base as well as the old one. Everyone knows about Sunbury and the spiritual home but it's the new generation of Thames Valley supporters who say 'I've got no allegiance to any club so I'll support London Irish'."
Attendances, fluctuating from six to eight thousand recently, are expected to pick up by almost 20 per cent post-World Cup, back to last season's 11,100 average. The Madejski Stadium is also home to Reading football club, a team that also has its fair share of Irish taking the field each week.
"If we can put in a couple of performances against Perpignan I can see our attendances increasing dramatically."
Rounds three and four of the European Cup, home and away to the French club could be defining matches in their season.
The lesson has been learned about getting carried away when Irish rugby teams are concerned but Smith and Taylor have built a decent, albeit compact, squad. "We're getting close," said Smith.
"In my first season we finished third in the Premiership. Last season we found playing in the Heineken Cup took a big toll on us. We had twice the number of injuries.
"We finished sixth in the league which was good enough to get back into Europe. Also, this season we have got a fortunate draw, while last season we were in a pool of death (Ulster, Llanelli and Toulouse).
"Perhaps we can get out of our Pool in the third time we have played in this competition."
A distinct possibility.
