There’s a league within a league in South West One West.

So says Newent skipper Ross Webb who says the presence of his club, Drybrook and Matson in the same division is harming all three clubs’ chances of winning promotion.

Win the mini league and the bigger league may follow.

“Games between us are all so close,” said Webb. “It’s such a struggle to win those games. Any team that can win all four of those matches will be in with a great chance of going up.”

All three teams finished on 78 points last season – Drybrook were third followed by Matson and Newent – and the results from the matches between the three clubs were equally as close.

Drybrook and Newent won one and lost one against each other, as did Matson and Newent, and while Drybrook managed to beat Matson twice, the combined winning margin over the two games was just five points.

The games are almost impossible to predict and there’s a mouth-watering start to the season because Newent are heading to Drybrook on the opening day of the new campaign on Saturday 2nd September.

“Yes, we’ve been thrown in at the deep end,” laughed 32-year-old Webb. “But it’s better to get them at their place when its dry because it should nullify their driving maul and set-piece.

“They do like a driving maul but they have a strong lineout too. To be fair, they’re strong all round.”

Webb is hoping that the harder ground will play in his side’s favour and the memory of their one-point Combination Cup final win in May is still fresh in the memory.

“We’re a very elusive team,” he said. “We like to run the ball and move it about the field. We’ve got a good back line but all our forwards can carry the ball as well.”

The Newent rugby story is a tale of almost unbroken success in recent years with trips to Twickenham in national knockout competitions sharing top billings with the multiple promotions.

Webb, who drives the team forward from no. 8, is hoping there are further chapters to be written.

He joined the club “six or seven years ago” when they were in Gloucester One and is still looking upwards.

“Promotion is our only aim this season,” he insisted. “We should have gone up a couple of years ago when we were first in the division but we let it slip. Last season was a bit of a mixed season but hopefully we’ll do better this time.

“We’re almost in uncharted territory because we’re not used to going to the same places to play the same teams season after season.

“When we were going through the divisions everyone was buzzing because everything was new. When you’re going to the same places it can be difficult to keep the enthusiasm going. It’s harder getting the players up for games every week for what is a big physical battle.”

Webb also needs those players to be available week in, week out.

“We’ve got some youngsters coming through and if they keep on improving that will be a massive help.

“But we haven’t got the biggest squad. We do need our best forwards to be playing especially in the middle of winter when it gets very wet.”

Webb, a county championship player with Gloucestershire, has also had spells with Old Richians, Lydney and Old Patesians, but although he hasn’t been with the club for as long as some, Newent Rugby Club is part of his DNA.

“My grandad Mike Poole is president,” he said. “He founded the club in 1970 and has been one of the major driving forces at Newent. Even when the club started to struggle he was relentless and got it back on his feet again. “

All of Poole’s hard work has paid off, of course, and Webb, along with his brother Tom who is the 1st XV’s fly-half, is carrying on the family’s good work.

So how long does Webb want to continue playing?

“I’ll keep going until I’m a burden,” he laughed. “I’m still winning the fitness tests. Maybe when I’m not winning those any more I’ll stop.”