Bristol go through the hands early before sending it high on halfway. They win it back

Phipps clears from the 22m up to halfway

Malins gets the game underway

Bears last faced Irish way back in Round 5 in a riveting game which produced neither winner nor loser. Bristol would do well to bear in mind that, in said 27-all draw, Irish were forced to play over forty minutes with fourteen men. If the Exiles draw on that same spirit, a cracker is on the cards for today.

Exiles will run out onto Twickenham Stoop with their tails up after victory against Exeter on Wednesday evening, however, they face the unenviable task of contending with a Bristol outfit brimming with determination.

Although it was, admittedly, against a somewhat diluted Exeter outfit, Irish were not unimpressive in their successful pursuit of victory; their forwards, especially, pulling out all the stops and fronting up courageously to the Chiefs on the latter’s home turf.

Bristol, meanwhile, were merciless and determined in their fixture against Leicester on Wednesday, rucking, mauling, tackling and running the men from Welford Road out of the game completely.

Any notion that Bears might be taking this game lightly is quickly dispelled with a glance at the overall standings. Pat Lam’s charges currently hold fifth spot on the log – level on points with fourth-placed Sale – and a five-point haul would do wonders for their chances of appearing in the play-offs, if any one of Wasps, Bath or Sale slip up.