The IRFU should see the merit in rekindling the fire with their lost love, London Irish, writes Peter O'Reilly in The Sunday Times.
"'At our Christmas party, the office staff arranged a Blind Date-style spoof to make fun of the squad. The guy who was supposed to be me kept saying ‘to be sure’.” Bob Casey’s revelation in a recent newspaper column revealed how things have changed at London Irish. The club has been a proud patch of green in South West London for more than 100 years but these days the captain is the only member of the professional side with an Irish accent.
"Certain things haven’t changed. The majority of the home supporters in Twickenham last night were either first or second generation Irish. The club’s board of directors, whose number now includes Keith Wood, are mostly Irish. So too are many of the parents of the hundreds of mini-rugby players who’ll be swarming around Sunbury this morning.
"Yet London Irish’s pro team is Irish in name only. Northampton Saints have four times as many Irishmen on their books. Check the academy section on the club website and you’ll find it’s called the London Irish (England) Rugby Academy. A club with 97 Irish internationals on its roll of honour is now paid by the RFU to produce England internationals."
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