The Hertfordshire side are third in the Regional 1 South East table, 21 points behind Colchester, but they have yet to lose at home this season and have won five of their last six matches.

They will also be looking to avenge their 84-12 defeat at Colchester back in October, when the Blacks scored 14 tries including a hat-trick for Ted Reid.

“They’ve been going fantastic this season,” said head coach Mike Haywood. “They’re currently sat in third place and they’re always a tough team to beat.”

Colchester have had a fortnight off since their last outing, a 31-22 home win over Old Northamptonians which took their winning run to 16 matches.

“It’s all about performance. We’ve just got to make sure we get all our critical things right.

It’s another challenge, and the boys have been good at rising to those.

“It’s just exciting to play in those big games.”

The match at Cow Lane kicks-off at 2.30pm with the Scotland-England Calcutta Cup match getting underway at 4.40 on the big screens in the clubhouse.

The Ravens are also on the road this week as they travel to old rivals Newmarket (check the club’s social media channels for confirmed kick-off time).

The Suffolk side are in seventh place in Counties 1 Eastern Counties, one place and three points above the Ravens. When the sides met earlier in the season, the 2s prevailed in a thriller, winning 26-24.

The As – third in Eastern Counties Greene King Division 1 South – make the short journey to play Bury St Edmunds 3s (kick-off 2pm) while it’s a weekend off for the Cavaliers.

The Kings make the trip to play West Country Wasps on Saturday, while the Roman Ruins had been due to play Felixstowe Vets under the Raven Park lights on Friday night, but the match has been cancelled, but we are actively looking for alternative opposition.

Due to the recent relentless rain, all this weekend’s fixtures may be subject to pitch inspections, so keep an eye on the club’s social media channels for any updates.