By Leipziger
November 2 2006

The Premiership’s early pace-setters visit Kingston Park tomorrow night, with Bristol looking to build on a good start to the league season and two wins in the European Challenge Cup against the Falcons who have only one league win so far. DoR Richard Hill has quietly built a squad of grit, experience and quality which has risen to the top of the table with four wins and a draw so far this season, Bristol’s only defeat coming at Gloucester in the EDF Energy Cup. Both London Irish and Worcester have been vanquished on the West Country side’s travels, whilst in their last league outing Harlequins were downed 33-20 with two tries from David Lemi and further scores from Alex Clarke and Shaun Perry.

Perry has greatly impressed in the Premiership last season and this, so much so that he will make his England debut against New Zealand on Sunday alongside Jamie Noon. Bristol’s only other England international is World Cup winner Mark Regan, who packs down in a vastly experienced front row with Darren Crompton and Scotland’s Dave Hilton. Behind them is 92-cap Welsh lock Gareth Llewellyn and his compatriot Nathan Budgett, Argentina’s Mariano Sambucetti and Samoan Alfie Vaeluaga T’ooala, not to mention up-and-coming back rower Dan Ward-Smith.

The back line, run by top kicker Jason Strange, includes several Pacific internationals including Tonga’s Josh Taumalolo, Lemi of Samoa and the ‘Chiropractor’, Brian Lima who has won 62 Samoan caps. These and Italy’s Walter Pozzebon complement the precocious talent of Perry, when available, and 25-year-old wing Lee Robinson.

Considering Bristol have never been one of the powers of English rugby since professionalism, it is FIVE YEARS since we last triumphed against them, Jamie Noon, Tom May and Stuart Grimes (2) scoring the tries and Jonny Wilkinson’s boot completing a 37-20 victory for the Falcons on October 14th 2001.

However, since then Bristol have won 12-20 at Kingston Park in December 2002, and last September Matthew Burke failed to convert Noon’s last minute try to secure a draw, as the West Country side won their first away match back in the Premiership 14-16. Mixed into this time have been three defeats at the Memorial Stadium.

For tomorrow night’s match, Mathew Tait and Jonny Wilkinson return to the Falcons’ midfield, with Toby Flood moving to inside centre and Tom May to the wing. John Fletcher gives Lee Dickson his first start in the Premiership and Jon Golding his first Newcastle outing at loosehead, whilst Brent Wilson covers for the injured Phil Dowson and Andy Buist at number 8.

15 Matthew Burke (captain)
14 Tom May
13 Mathew Tait
12 Toby Flood
11 John Rudd
10 Jonny Wilkinson
9 Lee Dickson
1 Jon Golding
2 Matt Thompson
3 Micky Ward
4 Andy Perry
5 Mike McCarthy
6 Geoff Parling
7 Ben Woods
8 Brent Wilson

Replacements:
David Wilson
Andy Long
Sean Tomes
Cory Harris
Mark Mayerhofler
James Grindal
James Hoyle

Richard Hill fields a hugely-experienced front five for Bristol, with one-time All Black David Hill making his debut at centre alongside Strange.

15 Craig Morgan
14 David Lemi
13 Rob Higgitt
12 David Hill
11 Lee Robinson
10 Jason Strange
9 Brian O'Riordan
1 Dave Hilton
2 Mark Regan
3 Darren Crompton
4 Roy Winters
5 Gareth Llewellyn
6 Nathan Budgett
7 Alfie Vaeluaga T’ooala
8 Dan Ward-Smith

16 Wayne Thompson
17 David Blaney
18 Mariano Sambucetti
19 Joe El Abd
20 Josh Tomalolo
21 Greg Nicholls
22 Sam Cox

Following two European wins, Bristol are on a run and the Falcons will have to hit them with a Brive backlash to get something off the league leaders tomorrow. After all, with Kingston Park welcoming three new players this week, several of our squad are playing for their places. Hopefully it will inspire a better performance than has been seen in the Premiership so far.