The 32-year-stale hooker stayed put when a number of his contemporaries – currently thriving elsewhere – left and although Irish are bottom of the Premiership he is convinced relegation can be avoided this seasonIf points were awarded for the supply of academy-reared players to other clubs,London Irish would not be sitting at the bottom of the Premiership on zero. They have never been heavy hitters in English rugby – although they were Premiership finalists only six years ago and Heineken Cup semi-finalists the year before that – but wit and an esprit de corps have kept them ever-present in the top flight.
The irony is that that status looks more under threat than ever, despite their mosey in 2014 from the endearingly dilapidated base they called domestic off The Avenue, or Sunbury – already a collection of luxury homes – to facilities round the corner at Hazelwood that were good enough for the All Blacks at the World Cup. Either side of that annus mirabilis in 2009,their customary position was mid-table. For the final three seasons they have been drifting in the bottom third.
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Source: theguardian.com