FLANKER Carl Kirwan says London Welsh are desperate to avoid becoming statistically the worst team in Aviva Premiership history.

The Exiles sit at the bottom of the table with one bonus point from 15 league games, without a win all season, and on course to record the lowest number of points in the history of top-flight English rugby.

Rotherham Titans hold the unenviable title, along with Bedford, after picking up three bonus points in a winless 2003-04 Premiership campaign.

However, a first win of the season over second bottom London Irish on Saturday would lift Welsh to at least five points and surpass the pair’s tally.

  • Latest Sport news

Kirwan, who will leave the Exiles in the summer for Worcester Warriors, said he and the players are conscious of the history books.

He added: “The players are aware of it and none of the lads want it to happen.

“It is not a label we want to be put under.”

The 23-year-old continued: “I have never experienced a season like this.

“But to play in the Premiership you have got to enjoy it because you are up against some of the best players in the world.”

Kirwan crashed over for the Exiles’ only try in Saturday’s 48-10 defeat at Gloucester and is eyeing that elusive first win this weekend.

He continued: “Looking at Irish, it is a team we think we can target.

“We have got to go into the game thinking we can come out of it with something.”

The Exiles are also bordering on conceding 1,000 points in all competitions, with 950 shipped in 25 games so far.

Defence coach Rowland Phillips admitted the statistics were “not good reading” for the Exiles.

He said: “The negatives and statistics are there and we’re not going to ignore them, but it is an accumulation of things.

“I am sure if we stop now there will be some very negative stats that would put us as the worst in a lot of areas, but that is not going to be anything we will talk about or focus on.

“We are not overly concerned by what people want to talk about and we’re focused on continuing to get better.”