5. European Challenge Cup Finalists
London Irish had their best European venture to date during the 2005/06 season, as they reached the final of the European Challenge Cup. After finishing 10th in the 2004/05 Zurich Premiership season the Exiles were seeded into Pool B for the following year’s Challenge Cup. Irish faced tough opposition, as they drew the French duo of Agen and Pau, and Italian club Overmach Parma.
However, the Exiles rose to the occasion and won all three of their Pool stage matches to finish top of the group. Irish recorded a 32-24 win over Agen, a 20-13 victory over Pau and scored 10 tries in the 64-0 decimation of Parma. They took this flying form into the competition’s knock-out stages, with a staggering 48-5 triumph over Bayonne.
During an era of Premiership dominance of Europe, the final four teams of the Challenge Cup all came from the English top flight. Irish battled against Newcastle Falcons in the semi-final, and despite the best efforts of their talisman Jonny Wilkinson, the Falcons’ wings were clipped after a 27-22 Irish victory.
The final saw Irish take on Gloucester, with a healthy crowd of over 12,000 fans packing themselves into Harlequins’ Twickenham Stoop. The teams were locked at 31-31 at the end of 80 minutes, thanks to two late pushover tries from the never-say-die London Irish, as flanker Olivier Magne and hooker Robbie Russell briefly rescued Irish hopes.
Gloucester’s number eight James Forrester scored a stunning solo try in the second half of extra time, and the Exiles were unable to close the gap so late on in the game. Barry Everitt slotted a penalty, yet missed two crucial efforts at the posts, with the trophy handed to the Cherry and Whites. Not the ending that Irish fans dreamt of, but the awe-inspiring run in Europe will go down as Irish’s best season on the continent.