London Welsh assistant coach Matthew Ferguson believes tomorrow’s Aviva Premiership home clash with Harlequins will be a good indicator of how much the Exiles have improved this season, writes Matthew Bruce.

Welsh were hammered 52-0 when they travelled to the Twickenham Stoop in the early stages of the season, but with the campaign now at the halfway stage, Ferguson feels the side’s progress is clear.

“It’s our first return fixture of the season, so we’ve played them already and we know what we’re up against,” he said.

“We lost quite heavily there earlier in the season, so we can see this as an opportunity to show how much we’ve improved since then.

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“We’re still waiting for that all-important first win, but the signs have been very positive lately.

“If it comes this week then we will grab that with both hands.”

A vocal home crowd could play a part in securing that first win of the season and with the Exiles not playing at home in the league since the end of November, Ferguson admitted they were looking forward to the occasion.

“The boys really enjoy playing at the Kassam Stadium, because it’s our home,” he added.

“In previous seasons we’ve had a lot of success there and brought our fans good times, so hopefully they all come out and show their support.

“We’ve had great support this season. We may not have huge numbers, but we’re certainly not short of noise.”

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