London Irish.

Thrashssacre · 05-04-2021 10:31pm #1

Anyone think there some talk in the background with the irfu and London Irish, I know there was a proposal before to buy them out and have them as a 5th Provence or development club for the Irish team. but it seems something it going on there now. In the last couple of years we've seen a big increase in Irish involvement at the club. We have Declan kidney and Les kiss running the show and paddy Jackson, Sean o Brien and now Simon zebo rumoured to join the club. Am I reading too much into thing's? Cant think of another club with that much Irish knocking around.

Dave_The_Sheep · 05-04-2021 10:36pm

No.

Sheep Shagger · 05-04-2021 10:38pm

Before COVID i would hsve said no...with the current state of finances at the IRFU its an even bigger no.

Do you remember when they nearly killed off Connacht?

As for the number of irish players they have, it hasn't always been like that. Their nick name the 'not nots'.....not from London and not Irish.

sydthebeat · 05-04-2021 10:38pm

I see no benefit to the IRFU in any such arrangement if one exists currently....

Thrashssacre · 05-04-2021 10:46pm

I wouldn't be particularly in favour of the idea but with the recent uptick in Irish involvement and some of the academy's (particularly leinsters albeit) bursting with fresh talent I just thought I'd throw the idea out there and see if anyone had heard something.

Squidgy Black · 05-04-2021 10:50pm

Pops up every few years and does the rounds on the rumour mill. Would be a massive waste of money, and wouldn't make any sense logistically.

sydthebeat · 05-04-2021 10:53pm

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Pops up every few years and does the rounds on the rumour mill. Would be a massive waste of money, and wouldn't make any sense logistically.

It would make sense if it was an avenue to the likes of Karl Martin this season. We could be losing him as a potential national player due to the fact the academy spots are so tight. Obviously covid is a factor, but it certainly would be beneficial to the IRFU to have an extra team to farm out younger lads for experience.

However, so long as Irish are playing under threat of relegation and the uncertainty that brings.... this won't happen

stephen_n · 05-04-2021 11:00pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

It would make sense if it was an avenue to the likes of Karl Martin this season. We could be losing him as a potential national player due to the fact the academy spots are so tight. Obviously covid is a factor, but it certainly would be beneficial to the IRFU to have an extra team to farm out younger lads for experience.

However, so long as Irish are playing under threat of relegation and the uncertainty that brings.... this won't happen

If that was the case, surely funding larger academies in the 4 provinces would make more sense. Than funding a team in a different country.

Squidgy Black · 05-04-2021 11:02pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

It would make sense if it was an avenue to the likes of Karl Martin this season. We could be losing him as a potential national player due to the fact the academy spots are so tight. Obviously covid is a factor, but it certainly would be beneficial to the IRFU to have an extra team to farm out younger lads for experience.

However, so long as Irish are playing under threat of relegation and the uncertainty that brings.... this won't happen

If we had a massive number of players not getting spots yeah, but I think that's still probably a long way down the line in terms of playing base growth.

But the amount of money it'd take to run a Premiership club and keep them competitive, would put a fairly large drain on the IRFU. Especially when you take into account logistics.

That and if the LI academy is taking in local players then the IRFU are funding the training and development of English qualified players.

Thrashssacre · 05-04-2021 11:03pm

stephen_n wrote: »

If that was the case, surely funding larger academies in the 4 provinces would make more sense. Than funding a team in a different country.

When and where would you blood in the extra players while maintaining everyone is getting enough meaningful minutes that they can work their way up the pecking order?

Former Former Former · 05-04-2021 11:03pm

I have never heard this as an actual rumour, only ever as a hypothetical "what if...". The OP says there was a proposal, I don't think that's right.

It would make very little sense on any front tbh

Squidgy Black · 05-04-2021 11:09pm

Thrashssacre wrote: »

When and where would you blood in the extra players while maintaining everyone is getting enough meaningful minutes that they can work their way up the pecking order?

There isn't a massive backlog of young talent who aren't in the academy setups and getting game time though, or a massive amount leaving the Irish setup.

A revamp or larger investment into the AIL would be a much more beneficial use of money for player development rather than pouring millions a year into a team in a different country.

stephen_n · 05-04-2021 11:12pm

Thrashssacre wrote: »

When and where would you blood in the extra players while maintaining everyone is getting enough meaningful minutes that they can work their way up the pecking order?

Do you think LI would be different? How?

damianmcr · 05-04-2021 11:13pm

Big plan to bring Paddy home.

MAKE IT SO.

thomond2006 · 05-04-2021 11:13pm

Shut down Connacht and buy London Irish.

That works for me.

Thrashssacre · 05-04-2021 11:14pm

Squidgy Black wrote: »

There isn't a massive backlog of young talent who aren't in the academy setups and getting game time though, or a massive amount leaving the Irish setup.

A revamp or larger investment into the AIL would be a much more beneficial use of money for player development rather than pouring millions a year into a team in a different country.

Well rather then a takeover how about the sort of developmental agreement that Southern kings had with one of the teams in southern France, a takeover would spark outrage within English rugby, and fighting private investment in order to insure the team doesn't fall behind in the league would be too big risk. With a name like London Irish and how they brand themselves it surely wouldn't be too out of there ethos to have some kind of deal like that with Irish clubs.

Clegg · 05-04-2021 11:19pm

I doubt there would be any official link up with London Irish as long as Paddy Jackson plays for them.

There would be a media and online frenzy and it's not one that the IRFU would willingly court.

Squidgy Black · 05-04-2021 11:32pm

Thrashssacre wrote: »

Well rather then a takeover how about the sort of developmental agreement that Southern kings had with one of the teams in southern France, a takeover would spark outrage within English rugby, and fighting private investment in order to insure the team doesn't fall behind in the league would be too big risk. With a name like London Irish and how they brand themselves it surely wouldn't be too out of there ethos to have some kind of deal like that with Irish clubs.

Southern Kings had an agreement with a Pro D2 team if I remember correctly. No top level team would really be interested in short term loans for players that aren't deemed ready enough to get game time at their own teams.

London Irish has never really had any actual connection to Irish rugby other than it's name. Their owner is English, they've had the odd Irish player and their current coaching ticket has some Irish people involved, but it's never really been a thing.

[Deleted User] · 06-04-2021 12:19am

Seems more likely to me that Kidney / Kiss are using their historical contacts to get players on board. Sometimes when the money on offer is relatively similar from a few teams, players will gravitate towards the devil they know.

In Zebo's case if I recall correctly he was / is good friends with Jackson so probably a vote of confidence there.

Zebo had a decent cameo for Racing at the weekend too.

Dave_The_Sheep · 06-04-2021 12:21am

That's been Zebo all over at Racing. Cameos. His strike rate over time, without checking stats, is ****e. In HC games not so much.

For Forks Sake · 06-04-2021 12:28am

thomond2006 wrote: »

Shut down Connacht and buy London Irish.

That works for me.

ersatz · 06-04-2021 12:56am

LI have a coupe of Irish players and an Irish coach. Several other premiership clubs could boast the same at one time or other. LI have some historical legacy connection, a bit like Liverpool or MU, but otherwise I don't see that there's any real connection with rugby in Ireland. And for the IRFU it would just be a money pit to own.

Serbian · 06-04-2021 2:59am

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

That's been Zebo all over at Racing. Cameos. His strike rate over time, without checking stats, is ****e. In HC games not so much.

Not to make this about Zebo, but his strike rate has been ok for Racing historically (30 tries in 81 appearances), just not good in the past two seasons (7 tries in 30 appearances). I think he has been used off the bench a good bit in the last two years in fairness, especially since Beale arrived.

irishbucsfan · 06-04-2021 8:37am

Former Former Former wrote: »

I have never heard this as an actual rumour, only ever as a hypothetical "what if...". The OP says there was a proposal, I don't think that's right.

Yeah, it's never been more than fans speculating

thomond2006 · 06-04-2021 9:04am

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

That's been Zebo all over at Racing. Cameos. His strike rate over time, without checking stats, is ****e. In HC games not so much.

Racing could easily drop him with the depth they have if his performance wasn't up to it.

connemara man · 06-04-2021 11:12am

London Irish taking older Irish players looking for name value to hammer home the Irish angle

Bristol taking younger Irish players and coaches giving them top of the rang facilities to improve in and grow

I know which the IRFU should be in chats with, but also shouldn't anyway

The Inbetween is mine · 06-04-2021 1:56pm

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

That's been Zebo all over at Racing. Cameos. His strike rate over time, without checking stats, is ****e. In HC games not so much.

Funnily enough, when he got there first , he was scoring trys for fun and people were saying ...ah they were only dives over the line that anyone could score.
Watching him recently, his all around game play has improved massively...he was vitally involved in 3 or 4 trys at the weekend, his awareness of others around him and usage of the ball was fantastic...if he does leave Racing, he'll have his choice of destination imo