2014/15: Review of the season

So, that's the end of the 2014/15 season, how did it go? We'll have a look at the results, assess the progress and look forward to the next season.

So, firstly, we'll do the cold numbers:

Played: 33 (AP, ECC & AW)
Won: 12
Lost: 20
Drawn: 1

Compared to last year's won 13, lost 19 ratio you could say we'd performed slightly worse this term but I don't think many supporters feel that the team performed considerably worse - the AP league position is the same this year (10th) but with 4 more league points scored you could argue a slight upturn this year. The fact that we made it out of the ECC group (and that the group was arguably tougher this time round) would back that up.

The season started with a narrow loss to Quins that could easily have been a win but for a lack of confidence, followed by a win squeaked away at Newcastle. Saracens' visit to the MadStad was, predictably, a loss but anyone there (Fez Heads included) would tell you it was a close-run thing.

One of the highlights of the season came at the end of September. Twice Irish have ever won at Welford Road and to have done so should be a source of pride for the lads and the coaching side. Tigers may be slightly de-clawed these days (2nd worst try-scoring record in the AP behind Welsh) but they still made the play-offs and were a handful for all teams. A win in their back-garden is a thing to cherish.

So, at the start of October, despite some disappointments Irish could look back at a difficult run weathered and have, perhaps a little optimism...

Saints visited the Madejski and, in a parallel with the Saracens game, just took the points, the optimism wasn't dented.

And then it was obliterated. Irish's visit to Sandy Park was the stuff of nightmares, while there were a few travelling supporters it seemed the team didn't show-up at all. A couple of consolation tries towards the end made a terrible score slightly more palatable but it was a vey bad day at the office and knocked a hearty dose of reality into the dreamers amongst us.

Fortunately we had the European Challenge Cup to distract us. A heavy thumping for Rovigo and a plucky away win at Grenoble gave some of the feel-good back and even two defeats in the non-entity that is the Anglo Welsh cup couldn't damp that.

The dampener was an even worse day at the office up at Sale, if the team didn't turn-up at Exeter then they could have been said to be playing for Sale at the Salford City Stadium. It was a massive loss and one that seemed to turn-off any confidence that the team had gained from early-season success. Heavy losses to Bath and Gloucester at home left the Exiles looking shaky going back to the ECC.

A loss to Cardiff away didn't help much but a return larger win did stem the tide of negativity a little. Going into the final pair of fixtures Irish were still in with a chance of qualifying.

Before then, though, we had the "pleasure" of opening Wasps' tenure at the Ricoh Stadium by being given a master-class by a resurgent team in gold and black - helmed by local-boy made-good Andy Goode. It was announced shortly afterwards that Andy would be joining Irish next season and I think we all thought it was half a season too late.

Premiership whipping-boys London Welsh came to a very worried Madejski Stadium on Boxing Day with the home support thinking that this might be the Other-Exiles' first win of the season. It wasn't to be, although it was indicative of the lack of confidence in the Irish camp that they didn't score heavily like most other of Welsh's opponents had.

Another highlight of the season was Exeter's trip to the MadStad. After such a crushing defeat away we feared the worst but a spirited fight from both sides in an entertaining match saw Irish clinch the win with a last second drop-goal from Shane Geraghty.

At this point the worst-kept secret in rugby came to be and Brian Smith left the club. The win had made avoiding relegation all but certain and Smiffy headed home to Australia with Glenn Delaney taking-over as head-coach. For me Brian was, in the most, brilliant for London Irish. He took us first-time from a relegation-fodder team to a winning side playing attacking rugby. Leaving for the England job meant he left the job half-done and I think he came back hoping to finish it but found the changes that had taken-place in his absence would mean starting from scratch. It's a shame, I think we'd all like to have seen how it had gone if he'd stayed... Thanks for the memories Brian.

The final rounds of the ECC saw Irish destroy Rovigo and Grenoble to give themselves a chance of topping the table. Cardiff's mirrored results failed to prevent the Exiles from taking the pool and qualifying for a home quarter final against Edinburgh.

The Anglo-Welsh meh-fest continued as Irish youngsters lost a further two games to Scarlets and Newcastle bowing-out of the competition with a played 4 won 0 tally.

A tight away-trip to Franklin's Gardens and Tigers revenge with an even tighter loss at home put-paid to any thoughts of shooting up the AP table but a massive hammering of a London Welsh side in disarray gave some heart.

Away to Quins is always one Irish want to win and something we've failed to achieve in the AP since 2008. That didn't change this year but the game was a lot closer than anyone expected. Newcastle's visit to the Madejski would settle which of the sides would take the coveted 10th place in the premiership. A single point separated the sides with Irish nearly letting the vistors take the spoils.

Edinburgh's visit for the ECC quarter final was match with real atmosphere, despite a disappointing crowd-size. The visitors took a commanding lead very early, with Irish failing defensively at every step but a fight-back saw a very close finish. The Exiles late push came to a referee's question of "try: yes or no" - had the question been "any reason I can't..." then Irish would've made the semi-finals. In the end Edinburgh deserved their place for an excellent start (and a hopeless start for the home side) but it showed one of the positives from the season - Irish were playing right to the final whistle.

A win against Sale annoyed Steve Diamond and who can dislike that? A trip to Bath had some of the support hoping for a reversal of the home fixture but London Irish West had their sights on a play-off place and cut-short any Irish optimism with an awesome display. A trip to Kingsholm saw ECC champions Gloucester do a similar job.

The final game of the season had high-flying Wasps give their local support a chance to see them and an incredible game of rugby ensued. In the end a 40 all draw was about a fair result. Again, Irish showed they could play for a full 80 minutes and the season ended on a high.

So, conclusions? It wasn't a "season of transition" because we didn't really go anywhere. We weathered a pretty tricky period of London Irish history with the change-over to the new ownership team and the loss of Brain Smith without dropping into the championship which can only be a good thing. With such turmoil behind-the-scenes perhaps it was a bit much to expect anything else but, for me, it was a disappointing season because we came so close to a lot of the big teams and could've, perhaps, pushed for a Euro Champions Cup place with a bit of luck. Sadly the big losses away ay Exeter and Sale took any momentum we'd gained away, to have secured 10th was, perhaps, all we should've hoped for.

Onto a real SoT, with the new coaching-team led by Tom Coventry and the excellent new signings it would seem that this coming season is the first of the Powerday ownership era. Big Bob seems to be doing a superb job at the tiller and can hopefully push us forward. The old-boys running the academy seems to be working well and gives us hope for the long-term future. If Mr Coventry and his boys can gel the new-intake into the spine we've developed this year we could make our first step away from the relegation zone for a few years. I think most of us are looking to next season with renewed hope...

Now, here, I have to issue a word of caution. If you're a new supporter please heed this: It's the hope that gets you. When we're terrible and know it the odd surprise win can truly delight. When you start to believe we're heading for the big-time, that's when the green roller-coaster drop and take your breath away. You have been warned!