NEW London Irish second row Sebastian De Chaves has hailed the impact of former skipper George Skivington as Exiles gear up for the start of their Greene King IPA Championship season on Saturday.

Doncaster Knights are the visitors at Madejski Stadium, and De Chaves believes the work that Skivington – now part of the coaching team after retiring due to injury at the end of last season – will bear fruit.

He said: “His knowledge of the game is top class and he’s got a real passion for the club – he knows exactly what he wants from the forwards.

“Skivs is a very good lineout technician so it’s been nice to work under him and pick his brains. Then Kendo (Nick Kennedy) throws in bits of wisdom there, so you’ve got two accomplished former locks to learn a lot from.

“That’s been a real positive for me and we’re all looking to learn. Hopefully, our set-piece will be a strength and I like the physical aspect of the game as well.

“All of the coaches have had a big influence on me, but I would say George has had the biggest impact on my game. I think he’s been absolutely awesome.”

De Chaves also paid tribute to Kennedy, and although he expects a tough campaign, he believes Exiles fans have reasons to be optimistic following last season’s dismal campaign.

The 25-year-old revealed: “Nick has a real passion for London Irish and then you’ve got Brendan Venter who brings a lot of energy and experience to the table.

“Ever since the first meeting, the lads have been excited and enthusiastic to be working with him.”

“The Championship will be tough in different ways and we know we’ll have to be at our best every week. But if we get things right and improve, nothing can stop us,” said De Chaves.

“Pre-season has been incredibly tough, but I would expect nothing less.”

  • JEBB Sinclair, Jason Harris-Wright, Darren Allinson, Fergus Mulchrone, Conor Murphy and Gerard Ellis all crossed the whitewash as London Irish completed a perfect pre-season with a 46-21 victory against Loughborough Students on Friday night.

Exiles also earned a penalty try.