Kidney and London Irish ‘crawling’ back to the top

Patience and long-term vision have been the watchwords. Irish have made some big-name buys in recent years, with Sean O’Brien, Sekope Kepu, Waisake Naholo and Nick Phipps among those brought in, but this wasn’t about largesse or quick fixes.

London Irish's Declan Kidney before the pre-season friendly match between Connacht and London Irish at The Sportsground in Galway. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Progress isn’t always linear but London Irish are plotting a slow and steady course forward under Declan Kidney after too many years of stasis and then decline.

The former Munster and Ireland head coach got on board with the Exiles as a technical advisor in the spring of 2018 when the club was rock bottom of the Premiership and already cut adrift. Relegation was inevitable but the turnaround since has been undeniable.