The Rugby Club travelled down to the Memorial Ground to chat to Bristol head coach Richard Hill.

This time last year Bristol was top the table however their start in this year's campaign has not been as successful. Never the less Hill believes that they are slowly getting back on track.

"First two months, probably about three or four out of ten and gradually picking up.," said Hill.

"So a gradual improvement; the pupils have woken up, we have all woken up a little bit and we are back to our old selves.

"We have that real Bristol grit about us, which we had last year, and it was missing. For the last month I really believe we have got that back again and you can see the players enjoying the training and there is a real determination now. A much improved side and the teachers are bit happier than they were in September.

"We knew this year would be a tough year and we did brace ourselves. Bristol are just trying to consolidate. We have had financial difficulty twice here already and things have gone wrong, so the whole club, on and off the field, are taking it step by step.

"We have made great progress but I am talking to our board of directors all the time so that we keep nudging forward, and being in the Heineken Cup this year is a big bonus for us, so we have moved forward again.

"But we can't go too quickly or I think the wheels would come off.

While Bristol may have had a slow start in the Premiership, they hit the Heineken Cup flying currently top Pool Three ahead of Cardiff Blues, Stade Francais and Harlequins.

"We have banned any talk of the French team that we have in our group. You are not even allowed to mention that word because then you start thinking about, 'what if, we are going to Paris, playing at 9.15 on a Friday night'. There was all that chat early Monday and we have banned it all and talk only of Wasps this week.

"We have got to learn, when you are in two big competitions, let alone three, to switch off very quickly from one to another.

"Satisfaction would be second in our group, lovely to do better but I think that's probably expecting a little bit too much but we will have a go at it. Second in the Heineken group would be nice - not to finish bottom in the group, at the start of the season, we would have taken but we have done a little bit better having won three out of the top four.

"And finishing in the to six, which is going to be hard because there is some stiff competition, so I think we are going to have to go some."