Chris McNeil grew up in Hatherley in Cheltenham but he considers himself very much a Gloucester boy.

Matson’s openside flanker learned all his rugby in the southern half of Gloucestershire and at the age of 29 is looking forward to the new season in South West One West.

“I live in Abbeymead and all my friends are in Gloucester,” he said. “I played all my junior rugby at Longlevens before going to play for Matson Colts.

“I had a year with them before playing for Cinderford for 10 years in National One before coming back to Matson.”

The move just over two years ago was motivated by work and family commitments but he has certainly enjoyed it since switching to a club that it is right at the heart of rugby in Gloucester.

“We won promotion in the first year and we had a very good season last season,” he said.

They did indeed, finishing fourth, level on points with third-placed Drybrook and fifth-placed Newent and McNeil, whose dad Steve was a second row or back row for Chosen Hill, added: “A lot of people thought we’d struggle but we proved them wrong.

“We’ve not got the biggest pack, in fact we’re not the biggest team, but Matson is a good breeding ground for rugby players and everyone of the players has bought into Shaun Knight’s ethos.

“Everyone has a good understanding of rugby and they understand how he wants us to play.”

Knight, of course, knows what he’s talking about because the 27-year-old Matson-born coach has played at the highest level with Gloucester, Edinburgh, Newport Dragons and Bath.

So how far can Matson go?

“We’ve got some good players at the club,” he said. “I think the club can push on and play in the next tier. Whether that’s this season, we’ll see. We’ve got a nucleus of good young players at the club.”

McNeil, who runs his own building company, is not looking too far ahead as far as his playing days are concerned.

“I’m taking it season by season,” he said. “I’ve had my fair share of injuries over the years but I’ll keep playing for as long as I enjoy it.”

The powers-that-be at Matson will be hoping that’s for many more years yet.