DURSLEY captain Tom Broomfield says there is a ‘buzz around the club’ ahead of their first ever league meeting with Stroud.

Often in the shadow of their local rivals, Dursley have risen up the leagues in recent years and will go toe to toe with a Stroud side who have conversely suffered a fall from grace when they meet in the Gloucester Premier clash at Stinchcombe on Saturday (2.30pm).

The teams sit next to each other in the middle of the table, with Stroud just six points better off, but local bragging rights will also be at stake in the highly anticipated derby.

Broomfield said: “It’s a massive game. The training numbers have been fantastic this week and everyone wants a first team shirt because it’s Stroud.”

Dursley head into the game looking to bounce back from a second consecutive defeat at struggling St Mary’s Old Boys despite leading for most of the match. Tries from Ed Sheldon and Matt Billett, who converted both, put Dursley 14-0 ahead at the break but they went onto lose 22-21 after conceding a late try.

Matt O’Keeffe, Ryan Thomson and Liam O’Keeffe hit back with tries, with Dan Brooker adding one conversion, to put the hosts 17-14 up before another Sheldon try was converted by Billett as Dursley regained the lead.

However, Barry Clark went over to give St Mary’s victory.

Broomfield said: “We controlled the game in the first half and should’ve been further ahead, but from there they had their tails up and we struggled from then on. They were ravenous in the second half and we were lucky to get a score.”