Smiths head coach Ben Parker is hoping for a cup pick-me-up after a disappointing end to their league campaign.

Their 62-45 defeat at home to St Mary’s Old Boys at the weekend was their fourth loss in six games, a run that saw their hopes of winning the Counties 2 Gloucestershire title evaporate.

Parker is now looking for a big improvement when they host Cantabrigian in an RFU Community Cup Counties 2 Championship quarter-final tie on Saturday.

The final of that competition will be played at Twickenham in May and Parker said: “It’s a massive game. It’s intensified for us because our league campaign has only been alright.

“This competition is chance for us to finish the season off with a bit more optimism.”

Smiths still finished fourth in a very competitive 12-team division but Parker continued: “We’ve been competitive but we don’t want to be competitive, we want to win.

“Against St Mary’s Old Boys we didn’t perform like a Smiths team should. This cup competition is a chance to end the season in style. We don’t want the season to fizzle out.”

Smiths lost seven of their league games this season, which is more than in previous campaigns.

Their recent run has also seen them lose to champions Cinderford United and third-placed Frampton Cotterll, who finished two points behind St Mary’s.

Parker said: “We’ve won only one game against the top three teams this season. In years gone by, we’ve won more than that. It’s possible we need re-energising.”

And they face another stern challenge against Cantabrigian, who have just won the London & South East Counties 2 Eastern Counties title after winning 18 of their 20 games.

Whoever wins on Saturday is guaranteed a home tie in the semi-final seven days later and Parker said: “We’re in the last eight of a national competition. Everybody who has got this far will be good. It’s a big test.”

Smiths reached the final at Twickenham last year before going down 31-19 to Old Elthamians and Parker continued: “If we put our best forward we’re a very good team.

“We’ve got the chance to do something really special but you can only do special things if you work hard. You have to give it everything.”

Parker was part of the Old Patesians squad that won the RFU Intermediate Cup at Twickenham 25 years ago – he went on as a late replacement against Blaydon – and the club recently held a reunion to celebrate that achievement.

“If you win at Twickenham it’s something that you talk about for the rest of your life,” he said. “I felt very lucky to be part of it.

“We reached the final last year and that was a massive achievement, but we’ve now done the touristy bit. This year we want to win.”

Parker admits he knows little about Cantabrigian but he thinks that could work in his team’s favour.

“I think it’s quite refreshing,” he said. “It means we can focus on ourselves. It’s been very intense these past few years, we’ve had to win every game to get into play-offs, go to Twickenham and win Combination cups.

“But we’re at home on Saturday and that is a big advantage. Teams at this level aren’t used to travelling long distances.”

Saturday is a big day for the club as a whole because Smiths 2nds play Cheltenham Tigers 2nds in the Cheltenham Combination’s Junior Cup final at Stow-on-the-Wold (1pm).

The finals day will also feature Cheltenham Saracens 2nds against Old Patesians 3rds in the Minor Shield (11am).

However, for the second year running there will be no Senior Cup final after Cheltenham Saracens were forced to drop out because they are hosting London Exiles in an RFU Community Cup Counties 3 Central Plate quarter-final tie.

There will still be three games at Oddington Road on Saturday, though, because Stow are entertaining Broadstreet in a Midlands League promotion play-off (3pm).

Broadstreet finished third in Regional 2 Midlands East – winning 17 and drawing one of their 22 games – and booked their tie with Stow with a 51-26 win at home to Peterborough at the weekend.

The winners of Saturday’s game will then play one of the losers from the Regional 1 relegation play-offs on 9^th May to determine whether they will be promoted to Regional 1 Premier.

“It’s going to be a big day of rugby,” said Cheltenham Combination competitions secretary Mark Spreadbury, who is standing down from the role at the end of the season.

Saturday’s selected fixtures – RFU Community Cup Counties 2 Championship: QF1, St Mary’s OBs v Bude; QF2, East Grinstead v Trojans; QF3, Smiths v Cantabrigian; QF4, Mansfield v Littleborough. Semi-finals, Winner of QF1 v Winner of QF2;  Winner of QF3 v Winner of QF4.

RFU Community Cup Counties 2 South Plate: QF1, Old Plymothian & Mannamedian or Perranporth v South Molton; QF2, Tewkesbury v Stroud; QF3, Old Hamptonians v Folkestone; QF4, Tabard v Worth OBs. Semi-finals, Winner of QF1 v Winner of QF2;  Winner of QF3 v Winner of QF4.

RFU Community Cup Counties 3 Championship: QF1, Old Georgians v Hucclecote, QF2, Wells v Bristol Saracens; QF3, Coney Hill v Barton-Under-Needwood; QF4, Boston v Bury. Semi-finals, Winner of QF1 v Winner of QF2;  Winner of QF3 v Winner of QF4.

RFU Community Cup Counties 3 Central Plate: QF1, Kings Norton v Bedworth; QF2, Cheltenham Saracens v London Exiles; QF3, Brockleians v Sittingbourne; QF4, Old Emanuel or Southwark Lancers v Old Grammarians. Semi-finals, Winner of QF1 v Winner of QF2;  Winner of QF3 v Winner of QF4.

Cheltenham Combination Minor Shield final: Cheltenham Saracens 2nds v Old Patesians 3rds, at Stow (11am). Semi-final results: Cheltenham Saracens 2nds 43 Gloucestershire Police 31; CCS Warpigs 2nds 7 Old Patesians 3rds 88.

Cheltenham Combination Junior Cup final: Smiths 2nds v Cheltenham Tigers 2nds, at Stow (1pm). Semi-final results: Smiths 2nds 22 Old Patesians 2nds 20; Cheltenham Tigers 2nds 24 Stow 2nds 19.