Eric Fry might be wreaking havoc in Newcastle Falcons’ front row this season, but without learning his craft at London Scottish, the American prop claims he would not be half the player he is today, writes Luke Baker.

Fry racked up 30 appearances during his two seasons with the Exiles as he caused an array of Championship opposition fits thanks to his powerful scrummaging and hard running.

The 27-year-old was a key cog as Scottish finished fifth in the Greene King IPA Championship last season and his impressive performances led the Falcons to bring him to Kingston Park over the summer.

He is now plying his trade in the Aviva Premiership on a weekly basis and also starred on the European stage on Friday evening, starting as Newcastle beat Bucharest Wolves 43-19.

But Fry is keen to dish out the plaudits for his rapid rise in English rugby, admitting he couldn’t have asked for a better grounding in the game than he had at the Athletic Ground.

“My time at London Scottish over the past couple of years really prepared me for the Premiership,” he said.

“The Championship is a great competition and we did really well at London Scottish last season, but it was a lot of hard work throughout the year.

“It’s definitely a step up when you move from the Championship to the Premiership, but having that level of competition under my belt helped me before I moved up here.”

Fry turned so many heads on the pitch last year that he was one of four London Scottish players to earn a spot in the Championship Dream XV come the end of the season.

The American, who has won 26 caps for his country, originally joined the Exiles in December 2012 and maintains there was no better way to end his time at the club.

“It was a huge honour to be selected for the Championship Dream XV and something I wasn’t expecting at all,” he added.

“It was especially surprising because I originally signed at Scottish as a tighthead and only moved over almost a full season later.

“So to be selected for that team was a shock to be honest but I was obviously honoured and delighted to be.”

* Support your club players in the Championship XV v Canada on November 2 at Sixways Stadium. Tickets available online at warriors.co.uk