Relegation has been the last thing on the mind of the Bristol Bears players on their return to the English top flight this season, according to scrum-half Harry Randall.

The Bears are on the cusp of securing their Gallagher Premiership Rugby status for another year after defeating reigning champions Saracens 23-21 at Ashton Gate last time out.

With three games to go, ninth-placed Bears are 11 points above bottom side Newcastle Falcons and can make sure of their survival with victory against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road.

But having closed the gap to sixth-placed Northampton Saints to five points, Randall believes there is nothing preventingBristol from finishing the season in the Heineken Champions Cup places.

“I don’t think our mindset has ever been about relegation, we’ve never really spoken about it and it’s not something that’s come into mind when we talk about the Premiership,” he said.

“We want bigger and better things. We’re pushing for that top six, which has been our goal all season, and we still have an opportunity to do so with three games to go.

“With wins in all of those games it will put us in a very good position to be in the top six and rather than looking behind us, we’re looking ahead of us and that’s our mindset.

“It’s been a massively competitive season and even from third down, from mid-season anyone could have made the top four or found themselves in the bottom two depending on results.

“It’s still looking like that as well, a good bonus-point win can bump a team up a few spots and a loss can bump a team down a few spots, it’s all still to play for.

“No one is guaranteed anything but it’s been good to be a part of the Premiership this season, it’s been such a competitive year, and there’s a lot to be excited about.”

Bristol have won seven of their 19 league games this term, while 13 of those games have been decided by seven points or less – with Pat Lam’s side picking up seven losing bonus points.

Following the trip to Leicester, the Bears face Sale Sharks and Newcastle Falcons in two games that could play a pivotal role in deciding the final standings at the top and bottom of the division.

The West Country outfit have not featured in Europe’s top competition since the 2007/08 campaign, but ambitious Randall admits they cannot afford to get ahead of themselves.

“We’ve got Leicester away and we’re building to that now,” he said. “We take each game as it comes and we’ll prepare well for Leicester and hopefully get a win there.

“If we win there then that will bump us up towards top six rather than having the mindset of it taking us away from relegation, we’re really looking up then and close to the to six.

“In terms of Newcastle’s year, they are struggling a bit down at the bottom and it will be a massive game, but we’ll keep on taking one game at a time.

“Come the time against Newcastle we will have all our preparation done to give ourselves the best possible chance to go up there and get a win.

“It’s very enjoyable playing in this team, we like to think we play a good brand of rugby and it’s interesting as a lot of people think we’re just a play, play, play team.

“But there’s a lot more behind it than that. A lot more goes on behind the scenes at training, we all work hard as a team to stick to a game plan that we are given that week by the coaches.

“We’re all on the same page and that’s a big thing for us. As long as everyone’s buying into what we’re trying to achieve and what our game plan is that week that’s all that matters.”

  • Randall was speaking at a Gallagher ‘Train with your Heroes’ session at Cheddar Valley RFC after their U10s side won a nationwide competition launched by Gallagher, a passionate community insurance broker and proud title partner of Premiership Rugby. Cheddar Valley won by describing how their team embodies the spirit of rugby, both on and off the pitch, and helps grow the game locally.