© (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

The luck of the Irish ran out on Sunday. London Irish's defeat to Harlequins ensured they finish bottom of the Aviva Premiership and, but for a miracle from the Bedford Blues, will be playing in the Championship next season.

With just four wins to the club's name this term, chief executive Bob Casey's message was stark: "We have to be honest, as hard as the players and management have worked, we haven't been good enough this season."

Now come the awkward truths and post-mortem. Casey has launched a review that includes coaches, players and the club's rugby programme. Here ESPN has put together a few pointers for what the Exiles have to address if they are to achieve long-term, sustainable success and bounce back to the Premiership.

Retaining their promising players

An hour after London Irish's relegation to the Championship was confirmed, Nick Kennedy tweeted:

Kennedy has seen first-hand the Exiles' startling plight. As a player he was instrumental in their charge to the 2009 Premiership final. After spells at Toulon and Harlequins, he returned as academy manager charged with bringing through London Irish players of the future. Now he will oversee their programme in the Championship, telling the young players to stay put rather than look elsewhere to further their careers.

This has been London Irish's Achilles heel. They haven't experienced a talent drain, more a torrent of departures. The England Grand Slam-winning side had two former London Irish players in Jonathan Joseph and Anthony Watson; the British & Irish Lions' 2013 side included their ex-loosehead Alex Corbisiero. Then there are the likes of Steffon and Delon Armitage, Matt Garvey, Marland Yarde, Tom Homer, Adam Thompstone and Jamie Gibson who were once Exiles but now play well elsewhere.

Since taking on the academy role in 2014, Kennedy and his lieutenant Paul Hodgson have already brought through promising prospects such as No.10 Theo Brophy-Clews, inside centre Johnny Williams and Ollie Curry. Beyond that, London Irish are the Premiership Under-18 champions so the hope is a good number of that squad will become Premiership-quality players heading forward.

"We had the best academy in the Premiership, it went and now we have it again," Casey told BT Sport after Sunday's match. "We are going to keep on to those players. You've seen Theo and Johnny and we won the Under-18s and those guys are contracted with us for next season. A year in the Championship with the academy guys getting the game time can be positive for the club."

Cementing their roots

London Irish are tied into their deal with the Madejski Stadium until the 2025-26 campaign. But as Wasps have proven, owning your own ground pays dividends. When their current owners took over in 2013, there was talk they were considering moving the Exiles from Reading to Brentford in a deal with the football club there but they have committed to playing at the Madejski Stadium next season. It is a great ground, but London Irish struggled to fill a third of it while in the Premiership and attendances are unlikely to pick up in England's second tier.

The continued backing from their Irish owners is essential in navigating the next few seasons and Mick Crossan's statement on Sunday should abate any nervousness over the club's long-term future.

"We would like to reassure supporters that we remain committed to this club and to realising its potential," Crossan said. "Relegation is a set back and we will deal with it accordingly. Our plans for London Irish remain the same and I would like to thank our supporters for their continued support during what has been a tough time for all involved with our club."

Learn from the experience

London Irish director of rugby Tom Coventry© Ben Hoskins/Getty Images

The Exiles were ill-equipped for the battle against relegation; too many folk at the club were experiencing those stomach-turning, season-defining moments for the first time. Tom Coventry came to London Irish from New Zealand with a fine CV but the Premiership is a different beast to Super Rugby. The notion of relegation is a non-entity south of the equator and the psychological side of the battle would have been a new experience for him unlike Newcastle's Dean Richards and Worcester's Dean Ryan.

Coventry's role will be at the forefront of the review but he will come back better for everything he has learned.

Their recruitment also needs shoring up. The mid-season panic signings did not have the same impact as Worcester's recruitment of Francois Hougaard. They are always a difficult thing to get right but it takes a particular type of player and character to turn the fortunes of a side and the Exiles' transfer policy did not achieve the needed results. It appeared scattergun. The brutal truth is London Irish stood still while other clubs pushed ahead.

"The foundations at London Irish are in place; we have excellent facilities, a thriving academy programme and outstanding support staff," Casey said. "Unfortunately, the progress of our rugby programme has suffered a setback this season in what has been the strongest Premiership in a long time."

Navigating the Championship

© Tom Dulat/Getty Images

Whenever a side is relegated from the Premiership, it is an unfortunate inevitability that some players will look elsewhere. Scotland internationals Sean Maitland and Blair Cowan have been linked with moves as has All Black prop Ben Franks. If they leave, others will follow. They should take a leaf out of Worcester's book as to how they were promoted back to the top flight in 2015.

Worcester, under Ryan's guidance, managed to hold on to the core of the squad, spearheaded by their brilliant talisman Chris Pennell. When it came down to the fine margins of that remarkable playoff final, they trusted each other and snatched the victory. For the Exiles, individuals such as Alex Lewington are key but they also need a gnarly pack. Luke Narraway has already committed for next season but they need to retain their front-row and the superb Matt Symons.

Bouncing back at the first time of asking is tough as Bristol well know and the Exiles must focus on character rather than names.

Will they bounce back?

A marrying of the above four points should ensure London Irish are in the playoff final come May 2017, but mental fortitude and a band of brothers mentality will be essential if they are to be back in the top flight for the 2017-18 campaign. Relegation can be the inadvertent making of a side: both Northampton and Harlequins have won Premiership titles after being relegated.

London Irish must find benefits from this situation and focus on giving their promising players game time, re-finding their identity and ensuring the mistakes they have made this season will not be repeated heading forward. They have a superb CEO in Casey, fine academy coaches in Hodgson and Kennedy and good players. If they can get back on Lady Luck's good side then they should bounce back at the first time of asking.