COLCHESTER Rugby Club captain Liam Pickett says they are embracing the opportunity to take on the London One North leaders tomorrow.

The second-placed Blacks head to Rochford Hundred with plenty of confidence, having embarked on an 11-match winning run.

Colchester’s last and only defeat of the season was a 27-10 reverse at the hands of unbeaten Rochford at Mill Road, last October.

And skipper Pickett says the promotion hopefuls are feeling optimistic, ahead of this weekend’s top-of-the-table clash.

Pickett said: “We will go there with a lot of confidence.

“We’re really looking forward to the challenge of playing Rochford.

“They’ve had a great last couple of seasons and we’ll go there with respect for them but we’re hoping to get some points on the board ourselves.

“It was a painful one for us to lose when we were beaten by them at home earlier in the season but I think we can take a lot from that game, going into the weekend.

“We have an opportunity to put that right, on Saturday.

“We’ve studied the video footage and we’ve been preparing this week and looking at areas where we can tighten up.

“We’ve identified where we need to be sharper to give us a bit more edge.

“I think the pressure is more on them than us, this weekend as we’re going there in second place.

“We’ll have a good, strong team out on Saturday – it’s as near to full-strength as it could be.”

With seven games to go, Colchester are in pole position to clinch a play-off spot, awarded to the team that finishes second.

They lie nine points behind leaders Rochford but eight points ahead of third-placed side, North Walsham.

Pickett is set to play against Rochford, despite suffered a frayed tendon in his thumb before Christmas.

He is due to have an operation on the injury next week and added: “My fitness is good – the tendon is ruptured and there’s no pain in the thumb.”