Classy win over Coventry showed Bristol mean business

I said last week I would be the first to put my hand up and congratulate Bristol on a good performance – and didn't they deliver on Friday?

There was a good tempo right from the start, with the boys playing at pace and scoring a few early tries. It was almost a perfect performance in the first half and for most of the second half.

I was so pleased that the boys went out and produced a performance like that, showing the rest of the Championship what they are all about in front of the Sky cameras.

But that performance came after a bit of a telling-off following defeat at Doncaster.

What we don't want this weekend is a slip-up at Plymouth that means more of those meetings and more tellings-off next week.

If that happens, the good victory over Coventry will have been a waste of time. The boys need to keep building now, but they should never forget how they felt on that long bus journey back from Doncaster with no beer.

The performance against Coventry has to be a benchmark performance, because some of the rugby on Friday was classy stuff.

The performance of James Merriman really stood out for me. He worked so hard and linked play so well that at times he reminded me of my old mate Neil Back. The test for Bristol comes now, though, because, having sent shockwaves through the Championship, it will be tough down at Plymouth against Graham Dawe's side.

Talking of Dawesy, he has inspired me to dust off my boots. He came off the bench for Plymouth last week, despite being 50, and I'm using that as inspiration ahead of the final challenge of my rugby career.

I'm heading off to Bermuda tomorrow to play for the Classic Lions in the Bermuda Rugby Classic. I have been doing my training at Clifton and have even unpacked the treadmill and set it up in the garage at home.

It was an honour to be invited to play in the Classic – and the teams who are in it take it very seriously.

New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, France, Canada, United States and Argentina are all involved and I can't wait to get over there and play.

I have also been in training for my Strictly Come Dancing retirement ball, which takes place at the Bristol City Centre Marriott on November 27.