There's a feeling about in Irish rugby that somehow London Irish are the enemy abroad. They have always engendered ambiguous feelings. But might not the Irish game be better off by welcoming the Sunbury lot into its bosom?

As it is, some of the Irish clubs and provinces might even have a vested interest in seeing London Irish being relegated, partly on the dubious premise that many of our prodigal sons would promptly come home.

Talking to many of them on Sunbury, admittedly in the aftermath of one of the club's best days ever, this is clearly unlikely. It's intense and it's hard work, but they're happy where they are and not even relegation would compel them to return to the AIL.

For starters, aside from a clear sense of loyalty to Willie Anderson and an ever more harmonious club, many would still be under contract. Even those that might be out of contract would be more willing to take up new ones or move on to other English clubs than return home.

The bottom line is that given equal financial incentives, practically all of the current crosschannel players would prefer to stay put: to continue playing in a fully professional game at a much higher standard in front of bigger crowds than return to a semi-professional environment, at a poorer standard in front of smaller crowds.

Rather than have a vested interest in seeing London Irish relegated, might then Irish rugby not be better off doing its damndest to keep them in the Allied Dunbar Premiership? Might not the IRFU look upon London Irish as the most important club in the Irish game?

For there is much to support this view. London Irish provide seven of the current international squad - and more, such as Justin Bishop, the out-of-favour Niall Woods and Niall Hogan, could make that figure rise. The club are likely to have at least three, maybe even five, of the side to play the All Blacks - more than any province, let alone club.

There's little doubt that, say, Malcolm O'Kelly and Kieran Dawson are better players and better prepared for potential international debuts than they would have been had they stayed in the provincial/AIL home structure. Thus, should we go further with the London Irish connection?

Now, I know the following suggestion will have some people up in arms and may be interpreted as part of an ongoing persecution of the domestic clubs. But could the benefits outstrip the minuses were some of the provincial players now made available to London Irish?

Legally, according to a spokesperson in the English Rugby Football Union yesterday, there is nothing to stop players from representing Irish provinces in the European campaigns and therefter play for London Irish in the English Premiership.

For the likes of Trevor Brennan and Alan Quinlan, being exposed to this higher level (compared to development leagues or club championships followed by the AIL) would undoubtedly benefit them and by extension Irish rugby.

Sure, it would further diminish the domestic club game were, say, half a dozen players be `transfered' to London Irish for the good of the Sunbury club and the international team. But that's all we're talking about here, perhaps half a dozen players at most - maybe only two or three.

These players wouldn't be lost to the provinces though, only the clubs. Besides, which is more important? Surely it is the international team, the flagship of the game? If it can benefit Ireland, and in the process individual players as well as giving London Irish a stronger squad and a better chance of staying in the Premiership, all the better.

Their current squad of 20 full-timers and some part-timers isn't enough, for a 22-game campaign - and no player could play at Sunday's level of intensity for 40 consecutive weeks. The promotion of Newcastle and Richmond, coupled with results so far, substantiates Anderson's view that "this is the hardest club league in the world."

Anyhow, instead of having an ambiguous, halfhearted relationship with London Irish, a more whole-hearted one would be mutually beneficial. And the more Irish players concentrated in one club that is working in harmony with the IRFU and the international management, rather than scattered all over England, again all the better.

Granted, there'd be some logistical difficulties involved, such as the arrangements for paying players and actually making it work. But if man can land on the moon and build the Chunnel, then it can be done - easily enough I'd venture.

This whole notion may seem sacrilegious to some, and even verge on morally objectionable. But it is nothing like the same as saying Irish football should invest in Manchester United or other English football clubs.

Even though Willie Anderson now has the resources to sign overseas players - with a couple of Super 12 players liable to join in the next fortnight - it is clear that London Irish are intent on retaining their quintessential Irishness.

For Sunday's fixture against Wasps, it wasn't just the omnipresent black stuff but the innumerable replica jerseys, the accents of the thousands there, the innate social ambience of the day, the raw-boned support given to the team and even the manner of the performance which made it seem as if a miniature Lansdowne Road had been transported to Sunbury.

It's clear that London Irish have finally got their act together. Riven with internal strive, they've pretty much had a revolving door for coaches, players and administrators in the 90s. But some things have remained constant, such as Ciaran McCarthy as rugby administrator and Michael Flatley as PRO, while people such as former Ballygowan owner Geoff Read (head of the consortium which took over the club) and Anderson himself look there for the long haul.

With a £2 million shares issue, the club is on a sounder financial footing than it's ever been. While all around them in the English Premiership are spending like there's no tomorrow (and so there mightn't be), 'Irish are being prudent.

Clearly, the English clubs are collectively in over their heads, with a reputed collective loss of over £15 million last season. Something has to give, and rumours are rife of at least one Premiership club going to the wall in the next week or two, while others may be obliged to start releasing players.

If 'Irish can somehow survive again this season, they could become one of the healthiest and ultimately wealthiest clubs in England. On Sunday's evidence, when at or near full strength, and when supported like they were at Sunbury, they can beat anybody.

There is no vested interest in seeing them relegated. Put it this way: what would the Welsh or Scottish Unions give to have their `London' clubs in the English Premiership rather than the second and third divisions?