Dan Ward-Smith is adamant the uncertainty surrounding Bristol's future will not affect the players' professionalism between now and the end of the season, writes Steve Cotton.

Bristol will head into today's Guinness Premiership derby at Bath rooted to the bottom of the table and 12 points behind eleventh-placed Worcester, who have one game in hand.

Back-rower Ward-Smith, like many of his team-mates, has been linked with a move away from the Memorial Stadium at the end of the current campaign, with Bristol almost certain to drop out of the top flight.

But he says that every player has a duty to give his best for the club, regardless of what their future plans may be, and is desperate to help the club get back to winning ways today.

"Next season is not really something I want to talk about at the moment. I just want to concentrate on playing at the weekend and putting in the best performance I can for Bristol," said Ward-Smith.

"What people are doing next year has no real relevance to the games between now and the end of the season. While players are here at Bristol, they have got to put in the best performances they can.

"That's a professional attitude and if you do anything else you are letting down your team-mates.

"I think everyone at the club identifies that every time you step on the field, there is an opportunity to impress or let down your team-mates – and you obviously want to be impressing them rather than being the guy who lets everyone down."

Bristol face Bath, Leicester, Wasps, Worcester, London Irish, Wasps again and Leicester again in their final seven league matches.

And despite Premiership survival now looking very unlikely, Ward-Smith says the mood in the Bristol camp under new head coach Paul Hull is extremely positive.

"Things have been freshened up and that brings a lot of enthusiasm to the camp," he said.

"The guys are really enjoying their rugby at the moment, everyone is enjoying coming in for training and we are working hard. We just need to get some results on the weekends.

"I think it will take one win and then the ball will start rolling and we'll get a bit of momentum – just like Newcastle have done."

Despite the devastation of last weekend's near miss against Harlequins, there will be no pre-match pep talk needed ahead of today's derby.

Bristol were well beaten by Bath at the Memorial Stadium on the opening day of the season and know there would be no better place to kick-start their season than the home of their fiercest rivals.

"The edge that comes with a derby game will be there, no matter what," said Ward-Smith.

"We try to take that out of it while we're doing our analysis and just look at where they're strong, the moves they have been running recently and working out ways to combat them.

"The passion will be there at the weekend, but we also have to keep cool heads. No backward steps can be taken, but you also have to keep your discipline, as has been shown with England recently.

"So we'll be looking to keep cool heads but also to match the passion they bring to the game.

"The style they are playing is something we aspire to ourselves, so it will be great to go out there and play."

■ Veteran prop Darren Crompton has become the latest player to commit to Bristol for next season.

The 36-year-old has signed a two-year deal with the club and follows fly-halves Ed Barnes and Chris Ashwin, lock Roy Winters, flanker Redford Pennycook, prop Mark Irish and hooker David Blaney, all of whom re-signed on Wednesday.