Richmond Women are back in action for the first time in four weeks as they host Loughborough Lightning in a must-win Tyrrells Premier 15s clash at the Athletic Ground.

The home side, who currently sit eighth on the table, with just one win from their first six matches, will be looking to return from the international break reinvigorated and ready to resume their season with confidence.

“The build-up over the last four weeks has been extremely positive, everyone has been training exceptionally well and the mood amongst the whole playing group is very strong”, said exciting scrum-half Tess Braunerova.

“Going into the match, it feels like a fresh start for our season. We’ve now had some time to reflect on our performances, improve areas in which we know have been letting us down and concentrate on what we can do well.

“Loughborough are going to be a big challenge, they’re always very physical and have a very steady set piece. They also have an incredible kicking game, they like to pin you down in difficult areas of the pitch and then pressure you into making mistakes.

“We will need to be really clever in how we respond to their game style, make sure we push up hard in defence, shut down their ball movers and then work the ball into the areas we know we can utilise and take points.”

Tickets are still available for Richmond’s Double Header this Saturday at the Athletic Ground (Richmond Men vs Plymouth Albion KO 3pm, Richmond Women vs Loughborough Lightning KO 5pm). Purchase online via Eventbrite or buy at the gate.