Gloucester Old Boys are at Twickenham on Sunday and they won’t be short of support when they step onto the pitch at the home of English rugby.

Four coach-loads of their fans will be there to cheer them on when they tackle North Bristol in the Counties 3 & Below Championship final, a game that kicks off at 11am.

And they are going there full of confidence after getting through four tough rounds of the RFU’s new end-of season knockout competition.

“We’ve had a couple of very close games which have gone right down to the wire,” said former player and club secretary Steve Smith.

Indeed they have because they were pushed all the way at Willenhall in the second round before winning 17-15, and the quarter-final was even closer before they pulled through 22-21 at home to Old Colstonians.

They travelled to Old Georgians last week, winning 24-13, and their only comfortable game in the competition was in the first round when they defeated Bristol Aerospace 76-0.

The club didn’t enter this season’s North Gloucestershire Combination’s cup competitions – it was the first time that they’ve not been represented – but they’re certainly all looking forward to their big day out in the capital.

“It’s the pinnacle at our level of rugby,” said Smith. “For players at this level to play at Twickenham, it can’t really get much better.

“It’s a great inspiration for everyone at the club, particularly our young players. A lot of them will be at the game.”

The players are travelling up the day before so should be primed and ready for North Bristol, who booked their place in the final with a 24-22 win at Hoylake.

North Bristol stormed to the Counties 3 Gloucestershire South title this season with a perfect record of played 20, won 20 – Gloucester Old Boys finished third in Counties 3 Gloucestershire North after just missing out on the title – so it’s all to play for.

“They’re pretty good, we’re two well matched teams,” said Smith. “Our big strength is in our pack and they’ve got a good set of forwards as well.”

Gloucester Old Boys have played at Twickenham once before in their 119-year history. That was back in 2004 when they were beaten 46-18 in the RFU Intermediate Cup.

Meanwhile, Old Patesians, the club who pipped Gloucester Old Boys to the Counties 3 Gloucestershire North title last month, are at Saracens for the final of the Counties 3 & Below South Plate.

They take on Harlequin Amateurs at 11am tomorrow having booked their place at the home of the Premiership high-fliers with a convincing 61-21 win at home to Widden Old Boys.

Harlequin Amateurs, who finished fourth in the nine-strong London and South East Division Counties 4 Surrey after winning half of their games, earned their place in the final with a 28-15 win at Verulamians.

Old Patesians’ squad includes two players, Archie Long and Jack Harvey, who will be trying to follow in the footsteps of their dads by winning a knockout trophy in London. Chris Long and Rich Harvey were part of the Pats team that won the Intermediate Cup at Twickenham in 2001 when they defeated Blaydon 25-24.