Richmond Director of Rugby Steve Hill says his side must reduce its penalty count if they wish to continue their unbeaten run against Bishops Stortford on Saturday.

Undefeated after their first five matches, Richmond sit four points clear at the top of National League 1, and travel to Bishops Stortford this Saturday full of confidence following an impressive 37-22 victory over Rams last weekend.

However, Hill says his side must improve its match discipline after giving away a number of inexcusable penalties in the victory over Rams.

“I was very pleased with a number of areas against Rams, in particular our forward pack who worked exceptionally hard all afternoon, but we do need to reduce our penalty count if we wish to sustain pressure on the opposition”, Hill said.

“Poor discipline is something we must improve. We cannot give our opposition opportunities to work their way back into matches, or take advantage of vital moments in the game.”

Saturday’s fixture provides another interesting challenge for Richmond, with Bishops Stortford sitting 11th on the table after only one victory in their first five matches.

“We know this match is going to be another really difficult test”, Hill said.

“Bishops Stortford know how to keep themselves in matches, they’ve picked up four losing bonus points in five matches, and will no doubt aim for another really tight contest.

“We’re confident we can continue our good run of form. We’ve had a great start to the season and we were extremely happy with our bonus point performance against Rams on Saturday.

“Our scrum and driving maul were a potent threat, while Rob Kirby’s kicking was again outstanding and enabled us to maintain the lead at crucial moments throughout the match.”

Richmond’s next home fixture is a double header on Saturday 19th October at the Athletic Ground (Richmond Men vs Cinderford 3pm, Richmond Women vs DMP Sharks 5pm). Tickets via eventbrite.co.uk or available at the gate.