Counties 2 Tribute Gloucestershire North league leaders suffered their first defeat of the season in a heavily forwards orientated contest on a sunny but cold afternoon at the Prince of Wales Stadium.

The visitors were on the back foot throughout giving away around 150kgs in the forward pack saw Pats youngsters shoved of the ball as a mixture of guile and raw power allowed the home side to dominate the set pieces and control maul ball.

A lively start put pressure on the Smiths backline early on with the boys in magenta & navy looking threatening in open play, out pacing their mature opponents and winning a penalty 30 meters out after 6 minutes for skipper Sam Rhymes to nudge over.

Smiths Oli Aherne with a broad grin on his face then glided through a mid-field gap to touch down for a converted try against his former club.

Smiths enormous pack stifled Pats possession at the set pieces depriving them of any front foot ball and frustrating their young three quarters, but in open play the visitors looked dangerous and when Aaron Shakeshaft found himself out wide the burley hooker showed an impressive turn of pace before finding Jack Hamilton for a try between the uprights for Rhymes to convert levelling the scores.

Matt Dean then controlled proceedings as Smiths hit back with a penalty from Marcus Raymond as the halftime whilst blew.

Raymond was on target again with two more penalties as the second half progressed and it was a try from yet another former Patesian Duncan Spurrier, who came through the junior ranks at Everest Road, that opened up an eight point deficit.

Multiple handling errors and missed tackles from both sides ensued as the battling warriors sought to gain supremacy with Pats leaving six points out there as two kickable penalty chances went begging. The home side were in jubilant voice when Spurrier carved his way through Pats midfield to set up a try for his opposite winger and there was no stopping the bulky Smiths pack from short range as they bulldozed Pats smaller pack backwards for the easiest of pushover tries.

Pats had the final say with a consolation try from Jack Harvey converted by Rhymes leaving the Everest Road team to reflect on a disappointing day when their trademark flowing style of play simply didn’t gel as usual as their local rival raised their game to boiling point for the occasion.

Norman Bell