I think the most important thing, which has delighted the coaches, has been the way that we have changed our game from an attacking point of view to such an extent that there seems to be a consistent threat across the field.

Two points to make on that really. Our lineout, which was disappointing against Worcester, has really improved. We haven't lost one on our own ball for two matches now.

And with that possession, Richard has been a lot happier with how we've been using it and getting it into the wide channels regularly and looking like an attacking threat.

To score four tries at Wasps is an achievement in itself and not many teams score four at Adams Park and lose.

But we've also scored three tries from catch and drives and the forwards have worked very hard on that and you can even squeeze a smile out of John Brain with that sort of driving maul! He loves that sort of stuff.

To talk briefly about both games. Gloucester, we obviously played very well having conceded three very soft tries in a ten minute spell in the first half. But we came back through sheer determination to win that game and it was a fantastic performance.

And then we did almost exactly the same thing when we gifted Wasps two very soft early tries and came back to lead that game before a very controversial ending deep into injury time which was sickening.

It's certainly the most disappointed I've been after a game in my time at the club. We felt we'd been robbed.

But the encouraging signs are that they way we are playing is a significant improvement. Our attacking game is unrecognisable but we've leaked a few soft tries and Paul Hull is working on that.

This week is slightly different than usual for me as we're playing at a different venue but I feel slightly more relaxed than I perhaps have done in the past for Ashton Gate because this is the third home tie we've held there since I've been at the club.

So, the logistics and the mechanics of how things happen at Ashton Gate are familiar to me and I feel relaxed in terms of the operations of getting myself, the coaches and the players down there and properly prepared for the game. We're looking forward to it.

I mentioned last time that I'd been making and taking lots of phone calls with regard to re-signing players and also trying to bring new ones in.

Apart from the off field activity in terms of preparing for games, right at the top of my list is the profile of the squad and making sure that we've got the balance right.

We'll hopefully be in a position very soon to announce some key re-signings and perhaps some new signings as well. There's a lot of activity in that market between David, myself and Richard and hopefully we'll be able to make some announcements quite soon.

Longer term, I've been looking at our preseason schedule which is now done. We're not going to France this summer but are going to stay in this country and do some work with the military.

We've also lined up three preseason fixtures in addition to our usual game against Clifton and will be able to formally announce them in the not too distant future.

Starting with Bath, this is the most challenging period of the season in the Guinness Premiership. It's a defining block and, by the end of these seven games which concluded for us at the Madejski against London Irish, the table will have a more settled look.

What I mean by that is that it will be clearer who will be competing for playoff places, the middle guys scrapping for the European spots and then those down at the bottom looking to avoid the drop.

We feel very confident that we'll be pushing for a European spot. Sunday against Bath is a key game and then we have two consecutive away games at Leeds and Newcastle and the preparation has to be spot on for those games as we need to pick up points.

Until next time.

CP