NICK Kennedy believes the London Irish fans ‘can be the difference’ in helping the club secure promotion back to the Aviva Premiership, writes Richard Ashton.

A new Greene King IPA Championship record crowd of 11,671 roared Exiles on to a 39-10 St Patrick’s Party victory against the Cornish Pirates on Saturday, eclipsing the 11,170 who watched Bristol play London Welsh back in 2015.

And the home players responded with a breathtaking opening salvo, running in six tries in the first 30 minutes to surge into a 34-0 lead which they were never in danger of relinquishing.

The victory ensured Exiles will top the table at the end of the season, and they will play the second leg of their semi-final play-off at Madejski Stadium on Saturday, May 6.

Kennedy told the Chronicle: “The boys really fed off the crowd. It was the biggest of the season by a mile and I thought the guys were outstanding.

“They were loud and the boys didn’t know what hit them when they ran out. I attribute that to the performance of the first 30 minutes because the crowd gave us so much energy, and if we can get that crowd down for the semi-final, they could be the difference.”

He continued: “It’s outstanding work from all of our commercial team to get the game out there to the public. We’re extremely grateful for people coming out and supporting.”

Second row Sebastian De Chaves, playing in his first St Patrick’s Party game after joining the club in the summer, added: “I think the whole day was really good. It was probably the best first half we’ve played all season. Everything we did came off because everyone knew their role. There was a fantastic energy in the crowd and the players fed off that.”

Exiles have three league games remaining before the play-offs, starting at Jersey this Saturday (3pm).

And De Chaves warned: “Jersey are a very good side. They are very well drilled.

“Their forward pack is particularly strong and out in Jersey it’s an open pitch, so conditions will play a big factor on how the game pans out.

“It will be a tough game, but if we focus on ourselves like we usually do then the result will take care of itself.”

He continued: “As a squad we want to peak at the right time, so yes it is still a game-by-game mentality.

“We want to carry as much momentum into the play offs as we can and put in performances we know we are capable of.”