Daniel Browne believes Bath must cut out the kind of errors they made against London Irish if they are to have any chance of becoming Guinness Premiership champions.

Bath travel to Gloucester today for a derby which has added spice with both sides competing fiercely to finish in the all-important Premiership top four.

Gloucester currently sit top of the pile, with Bath four points back in fourth, albeit with two games in hand.

Both sides are hurting from last weekend's matches, with Gloucester going down 14-9 to a last-minute try at Harlequins and Bath throwing away a 17-0 half-time lead to draw 20-20 with Irish.

Number 8 Browne recognises the magnitude of today's clash, and knows his side must eradicate the defensive lapses of last weekend if they are to establish themselves in the title race.

"Last weekend was a really big lost opportunity for us to get five points," said Browne.

"We attacked well but we switched off in defence – and you can't win games against good sides if you do that.

"This weekend there's a big local rivalry, but at the same time Gloucester also want something that we want – and that is to be top of the league. They are standing in our way and we've got a big point to prove after last week.

"We fell asleep in the second half last week, so we need to come out this week and show we have improved from that. The only way for us to do is to get at least four points.

"For us to have any ambition of being a Premiership-winning side, we can't afford to lose points like we did on Saturday. It's vitally important for us to get a win this weekend."

Victory for Bath today would go a long way to securing their place in the top four, even though they will have eight matches to play after their trip to Kingsholm.

And Browne has not forgotten the way he felt when his side lost 8-6 at the same venue last May, a result which cost them a home semi-final.

"The one at the end of last season cost us a home semi-final – and I think that's what led to our downfall," said the New Zealander. "Wasps was a difficult place to go and play away – they were playing very well at that stage of the season – and I think if we'd have won that tight game at Kingsholm we would have gone on and won the Premiership.

"That is in the back of our minds, as is the game here this season when they beat us. That's the only Premiership game we've lost at home this season – and we know we need to take our opportunities this time.

"We're going to be throwing everything at them this weekend."

Bath are without both first-choice hooker Lee Mears, who is on England duty, and his understudy, Pieter Dixon, who has a knee injury, so Rob Hawkins starts in the No 2 shirt.

The other changes to the side see prop David Barnes replace David Flatman, lock Peter Short come in for Stuart Hooper and James Scaysbrook replace Jonny Fa'amatuainu at openside flanker.

Mark Lilley, a 21-year-old prop and product of the club's Academy, is named on the bench alongside fellow prop Aaron Jarvis, lock Hooper, flanker Fa'amatuainu, scrum-half Scott Bemand, centre Shaun Berne and winger Michael Stephenson.