By Phil Harlow BBC Sport Online

Dr Brendan Venter finally found the cure for more than a century of London Irish underachievement, inspiring the Exiles to the first piece of major silverware in the club's 104-year history.

London Irish's 38-7 demolition of pre-match favourites Northampton in the Powergen Cup final represents the current high point of a season which still may yield more success.

Besides the Powergen Cup victory, London Irish are also in the Parker Pen Shield semi-finals and currently lie third in the Zurich Premiership.

Much of this success can be attributed to Venter's coaching and playing skills and to the impact his return to the club has had on his fellow players.

As demanding as he may be, Venter runs a relaxed outfit allowing all his players to vote on any issues that affect the squad, although his nickname of 'Mugabe' may suggest that his democratic nature only goes so far.

Venter's attitude of putting the team first can be seen in his selfless gesture at the end of Saturday's match at Twickenham.

Following Geoff Appleford's match-clinching interception try, Venter ran over to the substitute's bench demanding to be substituted to allow his fellow players to experience the occasion.

An astute recruitment policy has seen a succession of hungry and ambitious players join Venter at the Madjeski Stadium.

Players such as fly-half Barry Everitt, full-back Michael Horak and flanker Paul Gustard all arrived at London Irish with points to prove.

Uncompromising

And following the team's unprecedented success this season, those points have all been demonstrated beyond all reasonable doubt.

His sharp analytical approach has enabled the Exiles to compete with - and more often than not, defeat - teams with far more star names and financial clout.

The 32-year-old Venter has succeeded in making the most of both his own talent and from the collection of players that some tipped for relegation at the start of the Zurich Premiership.