Captain Sam Rhymes is looking forward to taking title-chasing Old Patesians to long-time rivals Cheltenham North at the weekend.

The two clubs have been fierce foes for many decades, although Saturday’s game will be the first time that they have met in a league game at Stoke Road for some 30-odd years.

Scrum-half Rhymes, in common with the majority of his team-mates, wasn’t even born back then and he’s never played at the North before.

“I drive past the ground most days on my way to work at Cheltenham Racecourse,” said the 23-year-old, who lives in Gloucester.

“But this is the first time I’ll have played there, I’m looking forward to it.”

Rhymes has been one of the key players this season as the Pats look to follow up their Counties 3 Gloucestershire North title success by winning Counties 2 Gloucestershire North.

Second-placed Pats, who have five games remaining in the 11-strong division, trail Gordon League by eight points but have played one game fewer than the leaders.

And there’s certainly all to play for in the closing weeks of the campaign because the two teams meet at Everest Road in a potential winner-takes-all clash in the final game of the season on Saturday 6^th April.

Rhymes, who is in his first season as captain, is refusing to look too far ahead, however.

“We go week by week,” he said. “We’ve still got some very tough games. After the North, we’re away to Hucclecote, home to Cirencester and away to Coney Hill. We can’t afford any slip-ups.”

The Pats won 28-21 at Gordon League on the opening day of the season and their only defeat was at Smiths – 33-20 – in mid-October.

Since then they’ve won nine games on the spin, starting with a 36-19 win over Cheltenham North.

“They’re a decent side, we had to work really hard to get past them,” said Rhymes.

The North, who won 18-10 at Old Cryptians in their most recent outing, won their opening four games of the season but are four places and 29 points below the Pats.

Former University of Gloucestershire student Rhymes, meanwhile, is loving life at the Pats.

He is originally from South Devon and said: “I love the club. We’re a very young side but I think we’ve exceeded expectations to be where we are after winning promotion last season, we’re really enjoying it.”

Gordon League, who have won 15 games in a row, travel to fourth-placed Stroud tomorrow. They then travel to Hucclecote and host bottom-of-the-table Old Cryptians before taking on the Pats.