The wins keep coming, the big games keep coming and the fans keep coming – Cinderford Rugby Club have certainly been blazing an exciting trail for a good while now.

This Saturday they host Sale FC before travelling to Cambridge seven days later, two more big games against clubs who are up and around them at the top of National League One.

Fourth-placed Sale are ahead of Cinderford only on points difference while Cambridge, currently third, are one of three teams who have won five out of five, although their unbeaten start to the season is certainly under threat on Saturday when they travel to leaders Rams.

“They are two huge games for us, we’re very much up for them,” said Cinderford director of rugby Paul Morris.

Sale and Cambridge have, along with Cinderford, established themselves at the top end of the third tier in English rugby in recent times.

“If you look at the league last season there was a very clear top six,” said Morris. “Caldy have since been promoted but the five teams who finished behind them are the top five now.”

Rosslyn Park, who beat Cinderford on the opening day of this campaign, are currently second and Morris continued: “Since the start of last season we’ve only lost to one team outside the top clubs, that was Darlington away just before Christmas when we were a bit understrength.

“This season we could have come unstuck against Taunton and Leeds but we didn’t, we got the job done both times.”

The 23-12 win at Taunton was Cinderford’s most recent – they were without a fixture on Saturday – and now all eyes are on Sale who finished runners-up last time around.

“They beat us twice last season,” said Morris. “They’re a really good, well-run club, they’ve got great facilities.”

Premiership club Sale Sharks are a professional off-shoot of Sale FC and Morris added: “We’re not jealous, it’s not something that could happen to us. They’ve got a very, very good system for them, we’ve got enormous respect for them.”

Cinderford finished three places below Sale FC last season, which means they were the 29^th best club in the country.

It was their best ever finish and Morris said: “It’s amazing. If any of the 28 clubs who finished above us have a smaller budget than us I’d be very, very surprised.

“Not that I’m complaining about our budget, we’re very lucky to have one at all especially when you look around other clubs in Gloucestershire, many of whom are struggling.”

And what money the club does have in these economically tough times is certainly spent wisely.

“The majority of our players are born and bred in Gloucestershire and brought up in the county,” Morris said. “We don’t bring in many from outside.

“First and foremost we are representing Cinderford in National League One, but I do feel we are representing Gloucestershire as well. You’ve got Gloucester in the Premiership, Hartpury in the Championship and then Cinderford.”

Morris, a scrum-half for Old Patesians back in the day, was at Hartpury on Saturday to see the home club beat Nottingham 39-31 and he was impressed by what he saw.

“The margin for error in the Championships is so tight and the fitness levels are so good,” he said. “They are semi-pro but they are more semi-pro than us. Look at a side as good as Caldy, they were beating Jersey Reds on Saturday but the game got taken away from them.

“And it’s the same with the two teams who have been promoted to our league this season – Hull and Esher. They both won their divisions comfortably but haven’t won a game yet this season.”

Cinderford travel to Esher at the end of the month and it is a game that 60-year-old Morris is particularly looking forward to because their director of rugby is England and British Lions legend Peter Winterbottom.

Winterbottom, an openside flanker, is now 62 and Morris, who has spoken to him only on the phone, said: “I remember watching him play for England against Scotland up at Murrayfield in 1982 in what turned out to be Bill Beaumont’s last game.

“He was a fantastic player. If you take the England World Cup-winning team of 2003 as the greatest ever and try to improve it, then you could argue Peter Winterbottom for Neil Back, although it would be a very tight call!”

And while he is looking forward to meeting Winterbottom, Morris’ focus until the final whistle will be only on his team.

“The only thing I think about is Cinderford,” said Morris. “It gives me great pleasure when we win, I can’t think of anything else to replace it.

“I do enjoy winning. I’m very conscious of the fact that I never played at the level Cinderford are playing and I look at it as an honour and a privilege to do the job I do. Standing still is an achievement but progressing is incredible.

“The players are so good, we’ve got some of the best players in their positions in the league.

“I like the way we behave on and off the pitch, I’m very proud of everything we do.”

No wonder that their supporters keep turning up to Dockham Road in such large numbers – there could be close to 500 on Saturday – and Morris is extremely grateful for their backing.

“We mention it all the time,” he said. “These are difficult times but they keep putting their hands in their pockets to come and watch us.

“It’s up to us to give them a performance and make them proud. That’s something we’ve done more often than not.”