Mark Regan: Bristol have to learn from their mistakes if they are to improve

Any loss is a backward step – and I can tell you now that it would have been a long, quiet journey home from Doncaster for Bristol's players.

Morale will have taken a knock from that damaging defeat – but when has any team had a God-given right to win a game?

Bristol were given this favourites tag at the beginning of the season and perhaps a few people have been believing their own press.

But you can't just turn up and win, no matter who you are playing against. There is not a single team in the Championship who will roll over for Bristol – and they need to realise that.

Bristol certainly have the talent but they are yet to produce a performance to be proud of. I know the boys are trying really hard – and it must be as frustrating for them as it is for the supporters.

They have talked about having honest meetings again this week, but there are meetings after meetings after meetings at the moment and they are not learning. It's like a stuck record.

I am pretty certain they will play well tonight, though. They are under pressure, from the coaches to the players, and that can bring out the best in Bristol.

I am expecting a big win, but I am not sure that will smooth over the cracks unless the boys remember how they felt on the way back from Doncaster. Because what is the point in winning tonight and then having to have another meeting after losing at Plymouth next weekend?

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be criticising Bristol. I want to be saying 'Bristol are playing outstanding rugby' week-in, week-out. I want to be an optimist rather than a pessimist.

In fact, it hurts me to have to be too critical – but, on the other side of it, I can feel the frustration of the fans because I am a fan.

I want Bristol to perform well – and, believe me, I will be the first to say 'that was absolutely fantastic' when they hit the heights. But the boys themselves and Paul Hull are saying they're not performing well, so it's not just a case of me having a go for the sake of it.

Last season we were never favourites but we gave it our best shot. In the end, we just weren't good enough. But this current Bristol side is good enough to win promotion – and it's about time they started proving it on the field.