Gloucester will complete a miserable few weeks for their west country rivals Bath if they win Sunday's Aviva Premiership clash at the Recreation Ground.
While Gloucester have only beaten Bath once in the last 10 games against them - 15-11 last season - strong recent form shows four wins from five starts in all competitions.
And that was underlined by last Saturday's European Challenge Cup semi-final victory over La Rochelle, the French Top 14 leaders' first home defeat this season, which took the English side into next month's Murrayfield final against Stade Francais.
Gloucester, who host Exeter next Saturday, can still secure a top-six Premiership finish and automatic qualification for the 2017-18 European Champions Cup, and they do not intend taking their foot off the pedal.
Bath, though, have drifted behind principal play-off rivals Leicester following a defeat against Worcester two weeks ago during a run of four losses from their last five league starts.
"We are delighted to reach the (Challenge Cup) final," Gloucester rugby director David Humphreys said.
"One of the goals we set ourselves at the start of the season was to win the competition, so we are delighted to be there.
"It is much easier every week to come into a winning camp, but the mind has immediately switched to Bath and a huge game for both teams with so much to play for this season.
"Everybody knows the history of this fixture, knows how important it is to the players, supporters and to the club.
"We are almost playing cup rugby every weekend, with what is at stake in the league and giving us that opportunity to push up the league and get into the play-offs.
"We had a great result there last year in pretty awful conditions, but it will be a very different game this time around.
"It will be an opportunity to go and play, show ambition and the belief we've shown in the last few weeks."
Gloucester show just one change following the La Rochelle win, with lock Mariano Galarza replacing Tom Savage. One switch among the replacements sees an opportunity for prop Ciaran Knight, who will make a Premiership debut if he is required off the bench.
Bath rugby director Todd Blackadder has made nine changes following last weekend's Challenge Cup semi-final defeat against Stade Francais in Paris, including a first start since January for fit-again flanker Matt Garvey.
Elsewhere, Aled Brew is on the wing, while Rhys Priestland features at fly-half and Tom Homer returns in the number 15 shirt, with England star Anthony Watson switching to wing duty.
Source: PA
