Looking at the ZP opposition - London Irish

Champions?
By The Analyst
August 14 2002

Jokes about Berkshire and the Veldt to one side, the move to Reading by the inheritors of the London Irish tradition appears seamless ,and has bolted on a willing Thames Valley audience to the already fast developing south-west London support base .

With the usual English desire to be almost anything other than English ( cue sniggers of Celtic observers including me!) and with Irish theme pubs all the rage, the Berkshire contingent may soon be more Irish than the Irish.

The move to the Madjetski may represent the final memories of Richmond to some and London Scottish has been completely excised from consciousness but there's no sign of any lamentation .A large emerald brand is emerging and is being efficiently marketed.

Despite being written off before the season LI prospered hugely on the pitch last term. A fast start was helped by the loss of only one player (Dawson ) to one game (the Irish loss at Murrayfield) to international duty. This lack of international names proved to be a strength rather than the weakness it had been perceived to be.

They were always in the mix for the 2-3-4 places, along with Glaws and Sale, although none of them ever threatened L*******r . Their wave crested at Twickenham with a comprehensive thrashing at all levels and in all positions in the final of the Powergen Cup of a Northampton side who were the more fancied going into the game. Among the 'knowing' pundits (who really should have known better), the Saints fans and the Saints team..

To some degree the rest of the season drifted away in a haze of Guinness fumes, motivation being lost rather, but enough talent to thoroughly frighten the same Northampton with little more than their academy team in the Zurich Championship. So a seriously good season last time out.

Leading lights were the almost insanely competitive Venter, the streetwise public schoolboy Sheasby, Strudwick, a focal point at captain and lock, and Everitt, an assassin with the boot.

TRANSFERS
Out goes Steve Williams and a few academicians together with messrs Brown, Ezulike, Hunt, Wright Pfister & Bates

In come Pieter Rossouw , an absolutely top-flight springbok winger, Bob Casey, a truly lock-sized Irish test lock who gets round the paddock, Pierre Durandt, a South African prop, Mark Mapletoft the returning Nick Burrows, and messrs Wheatley and Gustard are confirmed for the new season.

The situation is better than stable, Casey is regarded as an upgrade on Williams, Rossouw will be a major figure. They have lost no-one they wanted to keep. Good marks to management .

MANAGEMENT
The Board remains firmly Irish, the coaching staff firmly South African with Venter ably assisted by Gary Gold an erstwhile backroom Springbok, concentrating on analysis and the forwards, with Ryan Strudwick helping out in the forwards and as on-field captain .

Venter inspires mixed reactions, but is an icon with the Irish supporters, and more importantly his players will go through fire for him. He has encouraged a very effective sort of voortrekker mentality in the team, who are a suitably exiled community and see themselves as a pioneer family who must rely on themselves each other and their extended family, the supporters, absolutely.

Off the pitch , the management is astute and determined to exploit the value inherent in the emerald brand in order to provide sustainable success.

PROSPECTS
Teams will wonder how they lost to Irish last season. It is difficult to put a finger on their style and indeed Venter likes to put in a plan for each individual opponent. Common features were an aggressive defence, though they played both a drift and a box at times and in their cup final defended outside-in , with the winger taking the opposing 13 man and ball.

Venter heading back to his back row and strudwick on the crash was also a feature as was an efficient lineout which enabled Everitt to play territory. A lack of raw power at lock was offset by the novel use of front row substitutions whereby up to 6 front rowers were rotated to use them for limited periods as impact collision specialists.This will be less necessary with the mighty Casey at the bat.

Sheasby was fast across the gainline - if there had been lifting earlier in his career he would surely have had many more caps as he lacks only height and this is now irrelevant.

There was a swift, powerful back 3 who made it hard for other teams to kick deep on them, and Everitt's boot was deadly, guaranteeing 3 points every time they reached their opponents' half of the pitch.

The feeling that you don't know why a team beat you on the day is significant. It tends to imply a lack of obvious weaknesses. Think New Zealand, Bath, L*******r, Australia, here. My initial feeling was that they might struggle to repeat, as the Heineken is a much bigger ask, but they have recruited well, the team will be that much more bonded and adapted to the style of play preferred by Venter.

All sports teams have a natural progression and LI are on the part of theirs which suggests they are ready to contest the final furlong this year. Over the last 3 years the pundits have tipped whoever has made the biggest and flashiest new signings to challenge L*******r and those teams have failed miserably to disturb the champions.

Team sport just does not work that way . LI look to me like a horse that is ready. They have the ability and now the belief and desire are there. I think they are ready to really challenge, not just for a second place 25 points behind, but to get in there and shake it up at the top.

PREDICTION
Maybe 2nd, but if they catch the wind just right they might do it and win the ZP. If 2nd, then a close one this time. Their game s with L*******r to decide the title. If they can win those, the rest will smell blood.