Bristol Rugby ready for make-or-break Ulster Ravens clash in Belfast

BRISTOL Rugby's players are in Belfast ahead of their make-or-break British & Irish Cup clash with Ulster Ravens at Deramore Park this evening.

Whoever wins tonight's game - the penultimate Pool One clash for both sides - is almost certain to qualify for the quarter-finals.

The game in Belfast marks the start of a big fortnight for Bristol, who host Cardiff in the B&I Cup next weekend and then take on Leeds at the Memorial Stadium on January 25.

That match is likely to shape the rest of the season in terms of Bristol's hopes of securing a top-four league finish - but the focus is very much on Ulster Ravens for now. 

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Bristol fly-half Adrian Jarvis said: "The Leeds game is always there but our focus can never be on something that's in two weeks' time.

"That's very much on the back-burner for now - we're focusing on Ulster. We set our goals out, and one of them was to get through in the B&I Cup, so this week is all about Ulster."

Head coach Liam Middleton agrees with his playmaker - and, while he acknowledged the importance of the Leeds game, he is very much thinking about this evening. By 9.30pm, Bristol will either be on the verge of the last eight or facing the exit.

"We have talked about what games we've got coming up - and, because of the magnitude of this game, we've decided just to focus on this for now," said Middleton.

"Saying that, the Leeds game is going to be on our minds, because there are two competitions in a three-week period where, to stay in the race in both, we've got to win both games. We've got to beat Ulster and we've got to beat Leeds if we are to stay in the race in both competitions.

"Towards the end of January, you still want to be in both competitions and have two things to play for - so these two games are must-wins for us."

Ulster Ravens: B McIlroy; N Walsh, S McCloskey, N O'Connor, R Scholes; S Olding, M Heaney; R Lutton, N Annett (capt), A Macklin, A O'Connor, J Simpson, C Joyce, A Birch, J McMahon. Reps: N Brady, A Warwick, J Donnan, N Faloon, J Creighton, S Morrow, C Colvin.

Bristol: J Tovey; G Watkins, M Tagicakibau, L Eves, D McIlwaine; A Jarvis, J Grindal (capt); K Traynor, R Johnston, J Hobson, B Glynn, G Townson, M Mama, J Merriman, M Eadie. Reps: R Lawrence, M Lilley, W Thompson, M Sambucetti, R Pennycook, R Tipuna, T Roberts.