TOM Arscott is not the first player to find the going more difficult in his second season in the big time – and he almost certainly will not be the last.

But the Bristol winger believes he has now snapped out of his early-season confidence slump after recognising that try-scoring is not the sole barometer of good performance.

The 21-year-old took the Guinness Premiership by storm last season and scored nine tries in his 19 first-team games for Bristol after joining from Plymouth Albion.

This season he has yet to cross in seven outings – but the young flyer is learning to judge his game on more than just the try statistics.

"I think I just had a bit of a blip at the start of the season and my confidence was down because I wasn't scoring tries," said Arscott, who will start against Saracens in the EDF Energy Cup this afternoon.

"But you don't always have to be scoring tries to play well – sometimes it just doesn't happen.

"So I have got a bit of confidence back now, I performed well against Toulon and now hopefully my game will keep improving."

And Arscott, whose full-back brother Luke is currently sidelined with a hand injury, says the pressure to do well comes from his own high standards rather than anyone else's expectations.

"I don't think it's other people expecting things of me – it's more myself expecting a lot," said Arscott.

"I've always been my own harshest critic, so I always put a lot of pressure on myself. And if I don't perform how I know I can and think I should then I beat myself up about it.

"Hopefully I can put a string of good games together now, do well for the club and help us start winning games in the Premiership."

Arscott will certainly need to keep producing the goods if he is to stay in the Bristol side as wing is one of the areas where they look strongest.

David Lemi is fit again after a wrist injury, Mat Turner is looking the part after his recent arrival from South Africa and Lee Robinson and Anthony Elliott are also pushing for selection.

"There was a lot of competition even before Mat came, but in his first few games he has shown that he's a really good player," said Arscott.

"That just gives us a little bit more strength in depth there – and competition for positions is what you want for players to perform well.

"Those who have got the shirts have got to perform well to keep them, while the others are desperately trying to break into the team."

Bristol sign off for a two-week break from action after today's EDF game at the Memorial Stadium – but the focus has been on the November 16 Premiership meeting with Northampton for a few weeks now.

"Everyone wants to play against Northampton but first we want to beat Saracens," said Arscott, whose team cannot reach the semi-finals of the EDF after two pool defeats already. It is in the back of your mind, though, that there is another Premiership game coming up – and we haven't won in the Premiership yet this season."

Bristol: V Lilo; T Arscott, N Brew, L Eves, D Lemi; A Jarvis, G Beveridge; A Clarke, M Regan, J Hobson, R Winters, N Budgett, M Salter, J El Abd (capt), D Ward-Smith. Reps: S Linklater, D Crompton, R Sidoli, R Pennycook, H Thomas, C Ashwin, M Turner.

Saracens: A Goode; R Penney, A Powell, A Farrell (capt), N Cato; G Jackson, M Rauluni; N Lloyd, M Cairns, C Visagie, T Ryder, H Vyvyan, B Skirving, A Saull, M Owen. Reps: A Walker, T Mercey, K Chesney, D Barrell, M Wilson, K Sorrell, E Thrower.