CIRENCESTER RFC captain Will McCarthy believes his side’s ability to find something extra in big games will be a key factor in the promotion play-off match against Winscombe on Saturday.

The runners-up in both the Gloucester Premier (Cirencester) and the Tribute Somerset Premier (Winscombe) clash over 80 minutes, with the winner taking the final spot in next season’s Tribute Western Counties North.

Ciren last played in that division – level seven in the national rugby pyramid – in 2013/14, and those connected with the club believe it is their appropriate home.

“Promotion was one of a number of targets we set ourselves at the start of the season and this game has been a long time coming,” said McCarthy.

“We came together as a group under Andy Deacon for the first time on July 3 and here we are at the end of April.

“I’m encouraged by the fact that when we have needed to be good, we have been.

“Chipping Sodbury at home was billed as a really big game in our play-off push and we won 50-0 – we were unplayable that day.

“Hucclecote away was another supposedly tough match on paper and that day we were all singing from the same hymn sheet and won 48-0.”

Second row McCarthy has played for Cirencester since the age of six, apart from a four-year spell while living in Ireland when he turned out for Naas.

He lives in Siddington and works for Ecovision, a firm which designs renewable heating systems and backs on to Prince Charles’ Highgrove estate.

This season Deacon made him first team captain.

Another of Deacon’s targets was victory in the Stroud Combination Cup but Cirencester lost in the final to underdogs Dursley – a setback McCarthy believes has acted as a wake-up call to the team.

“The loss to Dursley probably did us good,” he said. “We were on a great run at the time and we had become complacent.

“We spurned so many key opportunities that day and probably left 20 points behind on the field. The defeat has sharpened us up and made us refocus.”

McCarthy is unstinting in his praise for head coach Deacon.

“His impact has been revolutionary,” said McCarthy. “He has transformed the club from top to bottom and he’s a winner.

“We had been underachieving and perhaps lost that bit of self-belief but he, Matt Carter and the rest of the coaching staff have been fantastic.

“Deacs looks at every detail and brings it all together. There is a buzz about the club and a very positive atmosphere.”

That attention to detail has been evident in Deacon’s preparation for this winner-takes-all match.

He has had Winscombe watched and filmed, going through a video analysis of their style with his players.

And yet he and his coaching staff still made the journey to Somerset on Saturday to see Winscombe complete their league season in style with a 78-10 demolition of Nailsea and Backwell.

“I wanted to see them live to get a real feel for their game,” said Deacon.

“They kick well for territory and use their big scrum and a strong lineout drive. It’s a one-dimensional game but they are obviously very successful with it as they have made the play-offs for the second season in a row.

“We are one game away from achieving our target to get out of this division and anything can happen in a one-off final.

“We have not played a competitive game since April 9 but the guys have trained well in the last fortnight and we have tried to freshen them up a bit.”

The mini break has helped a couple of players to recover from the sort of injuries which have plagued Ciren’s season and left Deacon barely able to put out his best XV all year.

Two of his most destructive runners and try-scorers Mike Wrona (double leg break) and James Fisher (knee ligament damage) have suffered season-ending setbacks, while ex-Bath Academy star Kieran Kelly is also a doubt for the big game.

“Injuries have been a challenge all the way through the season but it has meant others have had opportunities,” said Deacon. “We can’t dwell on what we haven’t got. We do have wing James Isaacs and back row Matt Berry returning.

“They all know the enormity of the game, they don’t need any extra pressure from me or the other coaches.

“All I ask is they train hard and prepare well to give themselves the best chance of performing because it is the hard work they put in prior to the game that is most important.”

Deacon insists his benign revolution would not be derailed by defeat to Winscombe.

“It is not all about this result," he said. “We have moved forward enormously as a club. More than 110 players have turned out this season across three sides – the third XV having been resurrected this campaign.

“We are closer than ever off the field, the bar has never been busier, there are more sponsors than ever and the junior section numbers are high.

“We’ve got record numbers coming to our annual dinner.

“Then there is our short tour of Cyprus with a group of 40. We will be playing the national team or at least whoever is on the island at the time, plus we have a golf day and a boat trip organised.”

To help the tour become even more celebratory, McCarthy believes Cirencester’s fans will be all important.

“I believe we are taking two coaches to Winscombe and there will be plenty more making their own way,” he said.

“Our support has been massive and we can’t thank them enough for coming out in weather like I’ve never seen this seasons.

“We badly want to give them one last victory to celebrate.”