Tewkesbury head to Cheltenham Saracens for a keenly anticipated top-of-the-table Counties 3 Gloucestershire North clash on Saturday.

Saracens jumped above their closest rivals at the weekend with a thumping 88-0 win at bottom-of-the-table Painswick, while Tewkesbury were held to a 17-17 draw by visitors Spartans.

That was the first time in six outings this season that Tewkesbury have failed to record a bonus-point win and it means they go to King George V playing fields trailing the new leaders by a point.

“It’s a big game,” said Tewkesbury head coach Gareth Evans. “Hopefully Saturday was a bit of a wake-up call for us.”

Tewkesbury had swept all before them in their opening five games, scoring more than 350 points, but Spartans, who are sixth in the 12-strong division found a way to deny them.

“Fair play to Spartans, they came with a gameplan,” said Evans, the one-time Gloucester back row. “They put us under pressure at the breakdown and the set-piece.

“We had limited possession and what ball we did have we didn’t use very well. We had opportunities to put the game away in the first half but we didn’t take them, they turned the game into an arm wrestle.”

Tewkesbury had won 42-27 at Widden Old Boys the previous week, a result that Evans said flattered his team.

And the 33-year-old knows his side will have to be better on Saturday.

“We’ll take the two points from Saturday and learn from it,” he said. “We knew at the start of the season that the league was going to be between three or four teams.

“Only one team goes up so this is like knockout rugby, it’ a must-win game. We’ve yet to play Crypts and I’m sure that will be a tough game but we’ll all beat everyone else, that’s why it’s such a big game.”

Evans had a spell as head coach of Saracens while he was a player at Gloucester and he continued: “There are a few names on the teamsheet that I recognise, there will be a few friendly faces. I’m hoping it will be a good game.”