FRAMPTON Cotterell will be looking to cause one of the big upsets of the Gloucester Premier League season on Saturday when they come face-to-face with near neighbours Chipping Sodbury.

And it is a crucial match for both sides with Frampton Cotterell struggling at the basement of the table, two points behind Berry Hill and three away from North Bristol who are in tenth place and hold the latch on the relegation trap door as a result.

Frampton are within striking range of Berry Hill and a third victory of the season out of what will be ten league matches played could take them off the bottom as Berry Hill will have a difficult task in unseating mid-table Longlevens this weekend.

Meanwhile, for Chipping Sodbury, it will be a case of getting back on the winning horse after they slipped up 18-16 away at St Mary’s Old Boys in their last league outing n November 26.

That spoilt a winning streak of three matches, stretching back to late October, which had put them into the top half and battling for a place among the league leaders before Christmas.

And, with the last match before the Christmas break the following Saturday when coach Duncan Bell’s Sodbury outfit take on mid-table Gordon League, back-to-back victories would do nicely to set them up for a New Year assault on the top three.

North Bristol, meanwhile, face a real ding-dong on Saturday when they take on Barts Rugby at home.

Barts are fifth in the table and comfortably beat Longlevens on their last league outing. But victory for North could see them overtake Cheltenham North, who play fourth-placed Hucclecote this weekend and will do well to get a lot out of that match.

And this clash wit Barts Rugby will prove a good warm-up for the following week when North Bristol have a real six-pointer at the bottom of the table when they travel to Berry Hill.

l Keep in touch with Gloucester Premier League action at gazetteseries.co.uk/sport and with the Gazette paper.