Jeremy Guscott column: Half-back combination is the key to Bristol survival

Tusi PisiRunning out in front of a big crowd at Twickenham will be a fantastic baptism for on their welcome back to the Premiership against Harlequins on the opening weekend of the season. Yet, no matter how well training has gone, or what has been said, or what is believed within the Bristol squad, there will be a lot of questions they face as a group which won't be answered until the end of that game.
If they don't win against Quins those questions will start to weigh down on them, and will continue to do so until they win their first game in the top tier. If they lose in London, they will need to win their first home game when they host Northampton at Ashton Gate. The cold, harsh reality of the Premiership is that Bristol need an early victory, otherwise doubts will grow.
It is never easy for a promoted side coming up, and although they have recruited reasonably well over the last few seasons – with ten new signings this summer, including experienced forwards such as No.8 Jordan Crane from and former Northampton prop Soane Tonga'uiha – many of the names in their squad have not played at this level for some time.
Added to that, although director of rugby Andy Robinson is an established top tier operator, new coaches Jonathan Thomas (forwards) and Dwayne Peel (backs) are newcomers at this level.
This Bristol squad is not short of talent. Full-back Luke Arscott is capable of challenging the best defences, and if Gavin Henson is fully fit he might have an Indian summer, especially as a goal-kicker. Up front, and lock Ian Evans made an impact in last season's -winning run and is someone you can build a pack around.
The crucial area for Bristol will be the 9-10 pairing. You must have a consistent, tactically-clever combination dictating the pattern and pace at scrum-half and fly-half.
That is what Exeter had in their first season in the Premiership after Gareth Steenson put the boot into Bristol to win the 2010 Championship play-off.  With Haydn Thomas at 9, and Steenson kicking his goals at 10, the Chiefs were difficult to beat at home from their first season onwards, and that record at Sandy Park has played a big part in securing their Premiership status ever since.
Will Cliff, right, was highly rated at , and the scrum-half's move to Ashton Gate alongside his mentor, Peel, could provide the sort of inspiration that's required. If Cliff can do a Maro Itoje in terms of lift-off, then Bristol could be in business, especially if he can make a good connection with the veteran Samoan fly-half Tusi Pisi coming on board from the Sunwolves in Super Rugby.
They need anything that says, ‘we belong here', and generates the collective belief that will bring them through a tough first season.
It's important that Robinson, Peel and Thomas turn Bristol into a difficult side to beat from the first weekend to the last, and over the course of the season we will find out how good he and his coaches are against the only yardstick that matters – remaining in the Premiership.
It will be ridiculously hard, because in their first five games none of the teams they face finished in the lower reaches of the league table last season.
In week one they have to avoid being awestruck by Twickenham and come away with something against Quins, even if it's a losing bonus point. Week two sees them play their first Premiership home game against a Northampton side which misfired at times last season – it's a must-win game. In week three they go to Wasps, which will be a tall order if they hit last season's form. Weeks four and five will test their home resolve to breaking point, with a West Country derby against the Chiefs first, followed by the visit of the reigning double-winners, .
It is a great chance for Bristol to make a huge statement – and one home win against Exeter or Sarries would do it. This would give them a platform from which to attack the lower teams in the league in the autumn, and also to target some of the higher flyers when they are without their internationals.
If Robinson's side can win half of their home games they might just stay up. Bristol have to gain at least five wins and half a dozen bonus points if they are to survive, and they can only do that if they are as tight and well-coached as Exeter were six years ago.
It means their seasoned, gnarly forwards have got to come through, and so do the match-winners in their backline. David Lemi is an opportunist winger who rarely has a poor game, and if Bristol can find two more like him in the backs, and four in the forwards, then they have a chance. All their big names, whether they are at the veteran stage or not, will have to produce consistently.
Finally making it out of the Championship must have been a huge relief, and Bristol must use that big uplift as an inspiration and avoid getting into the slump that did in their second season. If they can win three games in the first half of this season they are in with a shout because, based on last season, Newcastle won only five times in the whole campaign while were relegated with one less.
The indicators are that Robinson will want to go out there and play an all-singing, dancing game – but sometimes that has been to Bristol's detriment, and it may be one of the reasons they took so long to win promotion. The flip side is that it has given them a broader skill set and shown the squad that they can be intuitive and respond and react instantly.
So, do Bristol play a territory-pressure game, or an all-court game? My strategy would be to go towards a lower risk pressure game, but I don't think it's in Robinson's coaching DNA. A great deal will depend on how competitive their pack can be, and although they might not have the star billing, it's worth remembering that and Northampton had big-name packs which did not function last season.
Bristol need experienced hands like Crane, Evans, Tonga'uhia and Anthony Perenise in the forwards to deliver every week, and backs like Lemi, Tom
Varndell, Pisi and Arscott to finish the chances that come their way. They will all have to stay fit and play a lot of games, because some of their other squad players do not have the same credentials.
The upside is that whichever way they play it, what a great opportunity Bristol have to make a statement.

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