Richmond are back on the road this weekend to face Cambridge in Round 6 of the Champ. The two sides last met in pre-season, when Richmond came out on top with a 36-26 win, but this time, Cambridge will be on home turf and eager to respond.

The hosts currently sit 14th in the Championship and are coming off a narrow defeat to Nottingham. They’ll no doubt be determined to bounce back and prove a point in front of their home crowd.

Richmond, meanwhile, sit 12th and will look to carry their set-piece dominance into this clash. Last weekend, the side achieved 100% lineout success and led the league with nine mauls won, also securing two maul penalties – the most of any team in the round. Their relentless work at the breakdown has been another hallmark of the season, ranking 2nd in the Champ for total jackals.

With momentum building and a big away challenge ahead, Richmond will be aiming to deliver another statement performance on the road.

Head-to-Head: Jared Cardew vs Dan Eckersley
As Richmond head to Ellgia Fields for a crucial Round 6 clash, one battle carries an extra layer of edge, as Jared Cardew returns to Cambridge for the first time in a competitive fixture since departing in the summer, where he’ll line up against one of the league’s most dynamic young ball carriers in Dan Eckersley.

Cardew has been ever-present through the opening block of fixtures, starting four of the first five and making a strong impact from the bench against Nottingham last week where he delivered a perfect defensive return, leading the tackle count from the replacements with 100% completion rate. Defensively, he has been one of Richmond’s most reliable operators with 51 tackles made already this season, while his presence over the ball and in the contact area adds crucial balance to an incredibly competitive back-row unit. Cardew brings experience, dynamism and toughness, qualities shaped over 50+ Champ Rugby appearances in previous spells with Richmond back in 2021/22, and Doncaster Knights and Cambridge. Returning to familiar surroundings and facing former teammates, there’s no doubt he will be fired up to help Richmond take a major step forward in the table.

Opposite him, Eckersley has also made an eye-catching start since joining Cambridge in the summer. The former Wasps academy product and England U18/U20 international has hit the ground running, delivering one of the standout back-row performances of the week against Nottingham last Saturday. He beat 10 defenders and produced 43 post-contact metres, the highest in Round 5, leading a Cambridge pack that dominated the physical battle and post-contact gains throughout the contest. His confrontational ball-carrying adds real punch to Cambridge’s forward platform.

Two athletic, high-work-rate flankers. Cardew’s defensive engine and breakdown presence against Eckersley’s destructive carrying and tackle-breaking power. With both clubs hungry to climb the table, this back-row battle could prove decisive in shaping the outcome at Ellgia Fields.

First XV (1-15)
1. Barnaby Vaughan - Available to Sponsor
2. Harry Hocking - Sponsored by Charlie Hodge
3. Luke Spring - Sponsored by Steve Hardwick
4. Jake Monson - Sponsored by Ollie Quigley
5. George Nugent - Sponsored by Robert Vallings
6. Ethan Benson - Sponsored by Aaron Adams
7. Jared Cardew - Sponsored by Stewart and Liz Barlow
8. Sam Pim - Sponsored by Molloy/Barnes/Morgan/McGee
9. Alex Schwarz - Sponsored by Simon Barber
10. Jason Baggott  - Sponsored by Tony Dorman
11. Chidera Obonna - Sponsored by John Heaton
12. Tololima Savaiinaea - Sponsored by Nicholas Clement-Jones
13. Paddy Case - Sponsored by Geoff Hotten
14. Chidera Obonna - Sponsored by John Heaton
15. Callum Grieve - Sponsored by Graham Talling

Replacements
16. Will Goffey - Sponsored by Chris Mills
17. Chris Freeman - Sponsored by Andrew Gordon
18. Jimmy Litchfield - Sponsored by Molloy/Barnes/Morgan/McGee
19. Miles Wakeling - Sponsored by Nick Preston
20. Xavier Hastings - Sponsored by Willie Munday
21. Luc Jones - Sponsored by Tony Dorman
22. Lewis Dennett - Sponsored by Mermaid Gin
23. Ronnie Du Randt - Sponsored by James Espey