BRISTOL have six weekends off from the Guinness Premiership – and Matt Salter hopes the break can help his club in the way rain breaks can turn tennis and cricket matches.

The Premiership's bottom club have lost all five of their league games so far this season but are at Northampton in the EDF Energy Cup today, before a European double-header and then the final two rounds of their Anglo-Welsh campaign.

And flanker Salter is determined to make the most of this break from the high-pressure environment of the Premiership.

"I liken this period now to tennis or cricket when the rain comes down," said Salter.

"If a team or an individual is under pressure, suddenly you can come out after a rain break and everything changes. It gives you that chance to move away and refocus.

"We see it in other sports and I am not too sure why we can't see it in rugby now.

"There is a break, a chance to take a step back and refocus, and then come back out in six weeks full of confidence."

And Salter acknowledges that Bristol, like any team or business, can only be judged on their results. "It doesn't matter what job you do, you are judged on your success," said Salter.

"It's not just rugby or sport in general, it's things like the building industry. If you don't get any contracts for a while as a building firm, when one comes along it lifts the whole place.

"When it comes to the Premiership we know we have to catch the nearest team to us, but in terms of this weekend we realise how a victory would put smiles back on everyone's faces. We have picked probably the most balanced team we have sent out in this competition and that shows the importance of getting a win in this game."