Smiths Rugby Club face two high-profile games in less than 48 hours later this week as their flagship team chase an end-of-season cup double.

They travel to Bristol Saracens on Thursday for a Papa John’s Community Cup Counties 2 South Plate  semi-final and then two days later take on Cheltenham Tigers in the final of the Cheltenham Combination Senior Cup at the Prince of Wales Stadium.

“It’s not ideal,” admitted Smiths’ experienced front row John Bryant. “But we didn’t want to let anyone down.”

The game against Bristol Saracens kicks off at 7.30pm while the Senior Cup clash will start at 5pm and Bryant continued: “Most of our players will have to double up, our 2^nd team are in the Cheltenham Combination Junior Cup final.”

Smiths 2nds play Cheltenham Saracens 1sts, who compete in Counties 3 Gloucestershire North, in a game that starts at 3pm on Saturday and it is certainly going to be a very big day for Smiths because they are hosting the Combination finals for the first time.  

The Counties 2 Gloucestershire North side won the Senior Cup for the first time last season, beating Cheltenham North 30-29 in a thriller with a last-gasp Oli Aherne penalty at the Newlands and would obviously love to retain the trophy.

And the club consider the Cheltenham Combination Cup to be more important that the Papa John’s Cup this season.

“For us, it is,” said Bryant. “We’re the Senior Cup holders and we’re the finals day hosts, that makes a difference.

“We want to support local rugby and even if another club were hosting the finals we’d still want to play.”

The first final on Saturday will see Old Patesians 3rds take on CCS Warpigs 2nds in the Minor Shield at 1pm, so rugby fans are certainly set for a feast of rugby.

The Senior Cup final is obviously the showpiece game and Cheltenham Tigers, who play a couple of divisions above Smiths in Regional 2 Midlands West, booked their place in the final with a 40-5 win at Cheltenham North.

“The Tigers are the top team in terms of league position,” admitted Bryant. “We’ll have to see how we fare but we’ve never wanted to shy away from it, we want to test ourselves.”

Smiths, who finished third in their division this season after winning back-to-back league titles in the previous two campaigns, booked their place in the last four of the Papa John’s Cup with a 47-19 win at home to Hucclecote on Saturday. The final is at Dings Crusaders on Saturday 11^th May.

Cheltenham Combination Cup finals day – Minor Shield, Old Patesians 3rds v CCS Warpigs 2nds (1pm); Junior Cup, Smiths 2nds v Cheltenham Saracens 1sts (3pm); Senior Cup, Smiths v Cheltenham Tigers (5pm).