ESSEX Leopards face their biggest weekend of the season so far as they look to extend their five game winning streak.

The Big Cats host Newham Neptunes at the Brentwood Centre tonight before travelling to Loughborough Student Riders in the National Cup quarter-final on Sunday.

The visit of Neptunes will see two sides with unbeaten records in EBL Division One meeting.

The London side are joint top of the table with a 4-0 record and has won all 12 of their games as they have made a successful start to life in the top flight.

But Sunday’s trip to Loughborough will see Leopards face a side who are second in Division Two having won four of their first six games.

After beating Division Four side Sporting Club Albion in the first round, Riders saw off fellow second division sides Mansfield Giants and Ipswich on the way to the quarter-finals.

However, National Cup rules means that coach Robert Youngblood will be forced to sit out of his club’s two Americans, so either Howard Crawford or Kris Clark will have to miss the game.