London Irish are currently preparing for a return to the Championship as they begin their quest to return to the Premiership.
The Exiles youth system is a conveyor belt of talent. Rough diamonds are regularly polished beyond recognition but, unfortunately, not all of them go on to shine for the club that discovered or developed them.
However, down the years, some players have had to move on in order to fulfil their Premiership ambitions.
‘Boo-hoo, life’s not fair, get over it,’ is what many of you may be thinking. But come on, show a little bit of sympathy.
The talent that has waved goodbye to London Irish is staggering. If big-name players hadn’t left for pastures new and were supplemented with the current squad, they’d definetly be in the Premiership and a top-six finish wouldn’t be unthinkable.
Here, we’ve put together a list of 15 players on the books at Premiership clubs who have previously worn Irish colours…