Unbeaten Old Richians face their sternest test of the season so far when they host Old Patesians on Saturday.

The Pats, like Old Richians, have won their opening four games in Counties 2 Gloucestershire North, but the Pats are top of the table after collecting four bonus points.

They are one point and two places above Old Richians and are scoring close to 50 points a game.

“Looking at their results they will probably start as favourites,” conceded Old Richians head coach Ben Slatter.

“But we’ll give it a real good go and see where we are at the end of the game. We’re in a good place.”

Slatter, who is 46, is in his second spell as head coach having rejoined the club before the start of last season.

They won nine of their 20 games in 2023/24, finishing seventh of 11.

This season they’ve already beaten Coney Hill, Berry Hill, Hucclecote and Bredon Star and Slatter, a former back row, said: “There’s been a vast improvement over the past 12 months.

“We’re a young, developing side. Most of our players are 24 or under although we do have a few older heads in the forwards.”

But despite the obvious progress that is being made, Slatter is not getting carried away.

“The ambition is to finish in the top half, top four would be great,” he said.

The Pats finished runners-up last season and Slatter expects them to be there or thereabouts this time around.

“They’re a very good side,” he said. “They were very unlucky to lose out on the title to a very good Gordon League side last season.

“I’m told they’ve got some big players and they like to throw the ball about.”

Old Richians haven’t been scoring the points that Pats have but they, too, like to play an expansive game.

“We are an average sized team but we’re real fit,” continued Slatter.

“We’re playing with a bit of confidence and if it’s on we like to give it a go.

“We don’t try to slow the ball down, we trust ourselves.

“I think that’s the biggest change over the past 12 months, the players have the confidence to give it a go, they want to challenge the opponents’ defence.”

Elsewhere in the division, second-placed Smiths host Bredon Star, while Cheltenham North, who have also won four out of four, entertain Coney Hill.