London Irish’s resolve in the west London derby was vital to the bonus point, 42-24 success against Harlequins in the Gallagher Premiership, Agustín Creevy has stated.

A stunning six tries from Declan Kidney’s men saw the Exiles to a first league victory over their local rivals since moving to Brentford, winning three of their last five meetings with Quins in all competitions.

Along with the headstrong attitude of the squad, the Argentina hooker has credited the strength in numbers shown by the Exile Nation to help the team to a famous win in the capital.

On a day where Irish experienced their biggest crowd of the season, the Puma examined the performance of the matchday 23 in Round 16 of league competition.

“Our number one objective was to win the derby at home,” Creevy stated.

“The game was a really good game, and we deserved that win because of how well we played.

“The start we made to the game was magnificent, we scored three times at the start and caught them quickly from the beginning.

“Our determination was really strong, we kept going and didn’t stop in that first half in trying to make opportunities to score tries.

“We kept our heads together all the way through, obviously both our attack and defence were good, but I think the attitude we had in that game was important.”

Creevy emphasised the contribution made by the home fans to Irish’s success on Sunday afternoon, with their influence felt throughout the full 80 minutes in TW8.

“On top of that, the crowd was amazing from both sets of fans, but the Green Army was fantastic.

“We as a squad really felt that passion that was given by our supporters, it helped us keep going and made it a really good day for us.

“That atmosphere carried on after the game and into the changing rooms!

“We’re now a few points off the top four, and we have very important games now in the cup and in the league.

“Bath away is one of those games, after finishing off last season with a defeat there, we want to make that right.”

With a commitment to improve away results prominent from Creevy, the importance of home games has shown its value in recent weeks.

The win over Quins continued a four-game winning streak at home in the league, which also includes a run of going five games without a loss in domestic competition at the Gtech Community Stadium.

“It means everything to us, in my opinion I believe we have one of the best stadiums in the league alongside the best crowd also.

“We really feel that energy that is given to us by fans, when we walk out to the stadium and see them, it gives us another lift to do even more for the team.

“Playing at home is different, we feel like it is our home because we can have our families with us and the little things like knowing your way around the place, and even the trip in the car there.

“We always look forward to playing in front of our supporters at the Gtech.”

With an approaching fallow weekend in the Gallagher Premiership, the time off gives Irish a chance to recuperate after a hectic schedule.

The Exiles have an opportunity for a first weekend off since early November, following on from five games throughout January.

The time away is appreciated by Creevy and the squad, but the looming prospect of the Premiership Rugby Cup semi-final against Northampton Saints will be another exciting chance to play in front of the Irish faithful.

“Any player that will contribute in that game will give their all, it’s a very important game for us.

“We have a nice week now where we can get some rest, relax and build towards that game in the coming days.

“When we return, we will have to keep our focus and work hard for a game that will be really tough.

“We still have a bit of frustration about how last season ended in that tournament but we can use that as a real positive force for us, because we have a great squad capable of doing some really good things.

“It will be a great occasion for this Club, Northampton are a great team and we’re looking forward to it very much.”

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