Bristol can make bold bid to sink Cherry & Whites

Bristol v Gloucester
BT Sport 1, 7.45pm Friday
Scarlets v Edinburgh
BBC2 Wales, 7.05pm Friday

Bristol are bottom of the Premiership table and seven points adrift of Worcester, with five games remaining after losing 41-24 to the Warriors at Sixways three weeks ago.

But their head coach Mark Tainton says his troops have not given up on top-flight survival and despite injuries to evergreen winger Tom Varndell, strong-running Tonga centre Siale Piutau and ex-Ireland lock Dan Tuohy they are worth a wager with a five-point start from Gloucester in their televised clash at Ashton Gate.

Bristol won their last home league game 12-11 against fourth-placed Bath and have also won at Sale as well as picking up a losing bonus point at Northampton in six league games since the turn of the year.

They ended 2016 with a 28-20 home win over Worcester and before December's 26-18 loss at Gloucester, Bristol picked up losing bonuses at home to fifth-placed Leicester and at Bath.

Ninth-placed Cherry & Whites have lost six of the seven league games since that Kingsholm triumph over Bristol and the last of those defeats at home to Quins three weeks ago prompted Laurie Fisher to quit as head coach.

Gloucester have also won only one of eight league away games this campaign and have lost the last five.

In the Pro12, fifth-placed Scarlets can show that their 45-9 defeat at leaders Leinster three weeks ago was a blip in their playoff push by giving up 12 points to Edinburgh.

Scarlets had won five on the spin in the league before that reverse at the RDS including a 31-20 triumph at Munster to end the Red Army's magnificent run and a 26-14 victory at Glasgow.

Ulster must be hopeful of maintaining their four-point advantage over Scarlets with an easy victory at Dragons (BBC2 Northern Ireland, 7.35pm) after scoring ten tries romp in a 68-21 thumping of Zebre a fortnight ago.

The best value bet could be Ulster backrower Sean Reidy to score a fifth try of the campaign. Reidy touched down against Treviso three weeks ago and in the win over Glasgow last month.

Recommendations
Bristol + 5
1pt 10-11 BoyleSports
Scarlets -12
1pt 10-11 general
S Reidy to score a try in Dragons v Ulster
1pt 7-2 bet365, Betfair, Paddy Power