Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi believes his summer move to London Irish could be the perfect springboard as he strives for regular first team action.

The former England Under-20s prop, joined the Exiles from Northampton Saints this summer having spent last term dual registered with Moseley.

Now the 22-year-old is eying more game time starting with this Friday’s pre-season clash with Nottingham Rugby at Hazelwood (kick-off 7.30pm).

Featuring in Saturday’s 28-12 victory at Harlequins in the Cunningham Duncombe Series, Hobbs-Awoyemi said: “It was great to pull on the London Irish jersey for the first time and I thought the match went really well for us.

“Moving to London Irish is a great opportunity for me as it’s a club that wants to return to being the force it once was. I just want to get my head down and focus on establishing myself in the team.”

Opening up their pre-season campaign with an impressive display at The Stoop, Hobbs-Awoyemi insists there is a lot more to come from his side.

“We still have a lot of things that we need to work on and we will look to improve aspects of our game on Friday,” he said.

He added: “Everyone was blowing a bit against Harlequins, but that’s expected given it was the first pre-season game. No matter how much you prepare in pre-season, you can’t get through your first pre-season run out without it being extremely tough.

“There is no substitute for gaining match fitness and that’s what we need to build-up as we get closer to the start of the season.

“It’s been clear from the moment I joined the club that we’ve gone back to getting the basics right and we’ve built from there. We’ve gone into more detail as the weeks have passed by as there are new calls, a new strategy and a new style of play.”

Having cut his teeth in the Championship with Moseley, Hobbs-Awoyemi is under no illusions at the task that awaits the Exiles, saying: “We will be the team that every Championship side wants to beat so we will have to be relentless in our preparation and be ready for every challenge that comes our way.

“The Championship is an extremely physical league and I know that we will certainly be in for a game week in week out.”

London Irish take on Doncaster Knights in the first game of the Championship season on Saturday 3rd September (kick-off 3pm). Adult tickets start from £20 and kids are £3! Click here to buy your tickets or call 0118 968 1016. There are a very limited number of tickets availble in the central stands so make sure you book early to avoid dissappointment. 

 

 

 

 

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