Despite the resounding 17-0 win over rivals Gloucester Old Boys on Saturday, Old Patesians winger Joe McDean is very aware that there plenty more challenges lying in wait for the Cheltenham based side in their quest for promotion this season.
After dropping down three leagues over the summer in wake of multiple player departures, the club hit the reset button and began this campaign in unfamiliar territory at level 9 of the Rugby pyramid in Gloucestershire Counties North 3.
Since September, the Pats have made a nearly faultless start to the year, winning seven of their eight games so far this campaign.
The one hiccup came against Stroud, where a last-minute disallowed try cost them their perfect record, however that defeat was put to bed a couple weeks later courtesy of a 118-7 drubbing of Cheltenham Civil Service.
Having won again on Saturday against second placed Gloucester Old Boys and having a game in hand over League leaders Stroud, Pats are the frontrunners for promotion.
Read more about Old Patesians season so far here
McDean knows how important it is that the whole squad maintain focused throughout the year however, as their squad depth is likely to be tested heading into the new year.
“After Christmas we have to keep this positive energy going.
“We have a few boys coming up, and a few lads coming back playing for us that means that squad depth is definitely there.
“Even though we have a few boys that are injured we still have quality boys to come in, where I feel like other teams don’t.
“With us, we have a lot of squad depth and boys who step up to the plate and I think that after Christmas will be really important for us.”
With the core of the side remaining loyal, coaches Chris Downes and Ben Smith wanted to ensure the players and fans of Old Pats retained the sense of pride, enjoyment and togetherness that saw the squad reach the highs of National League rugby just over a decade ago.
McDean is fully backing the renewed style the coaching team have brought in, and confident that
“The coaches have instilled a really good team ethos this year, obviously we have only lost one game this year and that was a close game, but we let ourselves down.
“We got together after that game and said we don’t want to lose again, and we don’t want that feeling.
“We have pushed on now; we have just beaten second in the table and there is a really good positivity around the camp at the minute.
“But we know that there are still big tests to come.”
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Next up for Pats is another tough assignment away to mid-table Widden, where a win would send them back to the summit of the league table.
Although the talks of promotion are positive ones, a well as a nod to what a positive place the club is in after a turbulent 12 months, the focus must remain in the short-term to ensure the dreams of silverware become a reality.
