Richmond director of rugby Steve Hill says back row Guy Thompson and fly-half Ross Broadfoot have been the difference in a run of four straight National Division Two South wins.

Hill’s men edged a thrilling 25-14 win over previously unbeaten Jersey in front of a 1,000-strong crowd at the Athletic Ground, which saw Thompson bag a brace and Broadfoat kick 15 points.

The number ten has 67 points to his name in just five appearances, while his openside team mate has seven tries in six starts.

And Hill is in no doubt over their influence since their arrival.

“Ross is a very experienced player and has a very sweet left boot,” he said.

“He controls the game very well and - more importantly - he puts us into parts of the field where we can play and hurt the opposition.

“Guy is an exceptional talent as an attacking back row, a natural talent. He also does his defensive work very well which often goes unnoticed.

“They have both had a major impact on the team and the way we play.”

Richmond are now only nine points behind leaders Ealing after bouncing back from a difficult start to the campaign that featured three straight defeats.

And Hill, who rated the weekend win as his side’s best performance of the season, believes another win will give a clear indication of where his side could finish the campaign.

“I was really pleased with the performance and the two tries we scored were the best we’ve scored this season,” he added.

“Jersey are a strong side and will undoubtedly be up there at the end. Our defence around the fringes was outstanding.

“It is is still early to say anything about where we will finish but Saturday was a really big step for us and I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made.

“If we can get another win at Old Albanians it will give us a good idea of where we could potentially finish in this league.”

Richmond’s next three games: Oct 23 Old Albanians (a), 30 Hinckley (h), Nov 6 Shelford (a).