4. The Immortal Victory over Harlequins
The story of London Irish’s 32-27 win over Harlequins in the 2001/02 season is the stuff of Exiles folklore. This triumph over the West London rivals is so celebrated, that the Irish fans even have a song to remember the joyous occasion.
The match took place in the semi-final of the aforementioned Powergen Cup, which London Irish went on to lift that season. Twickenham Stoop was the venue, and as the story goes, the famous quarter colours of Harlequins was drowned out by a sea of Irish green, when the local rivals came to town.
Musician and Irish fan Ronan MacManus frequently performed this anthem in Irish’s post-match celebrations, when Guinness flowed and spirits were high for the London Irishmen;
There once was a man, a big Quins fan, he was a miserable sod
He went to the S-T-O-O-P, he thought Will Carlin was god
Then the I-R-I-S-H Irish, we covered the stoop in green
and we sang you can stick your chariots up your a***
Now Conor O’Shea had a feeling that day that this was going to be our year
If he could keep them on their G-A-M-E game and off the B-E-E-R beer
Then B-A-R-R-Y Everitt converted all the T-R-Ys
and we sang the F-I-E-L-D-S of Athenry
The G-U-I-N-N-E-S-S has been drunk today
We’ll always sing about the C-U-P and that semi-final day
We’ll have a C-R-A-I-C craic whether we lose or win
and that’s why we’ll always be a better club than the Q-U-I-N quins