2. London Irish (5x Runners-Up / 1 Finals Victories)
If a phoenix team rises London Irish up from the ashes, the Exiles could well soon be collecting bountiful winners medals, as they climb their way back up the leagues. London Welsh have proven that this is possible, as eight years on from their Premiership liquidation, ‘Project Re-start’ has seen London Welsh bounce up the divisions with consecutive league titles.
Excluding a pair of two-legged RFU Championship play-offs in 2017 and 2019, the Exiles have lost five out of their six appearances in out-and-out ‘cup finals’. The last two defeats came in a mirror-image style, as Irish lost back-to-back Premiership Rugby Cup Finals in extra time, with both fixtures taking place at their previous home, the G-Tech Community Stadium.
The 2021/22 final was decided in irregular circumstances, as Worcester Warriors back-rower Kyle Hatherell scored an 80th minute equalising try, to take the match beyond the full-time whistle. After a 20 minute stalemate, the score-line remained level at 25-25, with Worcester awarded the title on ‘tries scored’ (3-2). In an eery sense of Deja Vu the following season, the Exiles found themselves on the losing side of a 24-20 score-line, with Exeter Chiefs lifting the Premiership Rugby Cup trophy in an extra-time triumph.
London Irish’s singular cup final triumph came in the very same competition, yet it was under the former name of the Powergen Cup. The Exiles put in a blistering performance to seal the 2001/02 Powergen Cup at Twickenham Stadium, as they put the sword to Northampton Saints with a 38-7 landslide win.
Irish’s additional cup final defeats came against Gloucester in the 2005/06 European Challenge Cup Final, which goes down as Irish’s best run on the continent. The Exiles followed this up by reaching their one and only Premiership Final in 2009, which saw them take a narrow 10-9 defeat to Leicester Tigers. This is recorded as Irish’s best ever league performance. The 1979/80 Anglo-Welsh Cup final defeat again to Leicester wraps up the Exiles’ history of cup finals for now.