The Ravens take centre stage with a huge encounter, while the opening weekend of the 6 Nations will be shown on the big screens in the club house, including Ireland v England kicking-off at 4.45, directly after the 2s match.

The Ravens play Shelford 2s in a match kicking-off on the main artificial grass pitch at 3pm.

On paper, a close encounter looks certain as Colchester lie just two points and two places above their rivals from Cambridgeshire in mid-division in the Counties 1 Eastern Counties league.

The 2s come into the match on the back of two creditably narrow defeats at promotion-chasing Southwold and Norwich, both matches yielding two losing bonus points. Shelford beat the Ravens 33-22 in the first meeting in October.

“Despite the recent results not going our way, it’s clear the players are showing we’re more than capable of holding our own in the league,” said coach Charlie Shepherd. “The team’s confidence is definitely growing.

“The league table is still a little unclear with some teams having games in hand, so securing wins is crucial as we aim to climb further up the rankings.

“With the first team on a rest weekend we’d love to see plenty of support on the sideline to cheer on the boys.”

Colchester 3s – third in Eastern Counties Greene King Division 1 South - are away to second-placed Hadleigh (kick-off 2pm) in what should be a cracker of a match. The 4s travel to play Mersea Island Rhinos (2pm).

With the weather set fair, why not come along to Raven Park, cheer on the lads, then watch England kick-off their 6 Nations campaign against Ireland with a beer or two in the club house?