Sean Holley believes Bristol have given themselves a great opportunity of carrying a band of 10 Welshmen to the summit of English rugby next week.
The former Ospreys coach is in charge of the West Country club that have one foot in the Aviva Premiership next season after their 28-13 midweek victory over Doncaster in the first leg of the Championship play-off final.
Apart from Holley, the Welsh contingent just over the border is significant – featuring both the old and the new of the exiled princes.
There are former Wales and Lions tourists who have been around the block a few times, such as Gavin Henson and Ian Evans, as well as former Scarlet Gareth Maule.
Then, there are youngsters such as Callum Sheedy, the 20-year-old fly-half, who, in the absence of the injured Henson, kicked 13 points in the victory at Doncaster on Wednesday night.
Holley said: “Any lead would be really good. We respect Doncaster hugely for what they’ve achieved this year so far and what they stand for, so any lead would have been great.
“Obviously, we’ve given ourselves a pretty good one, but we’ve left some points out there in all honesty; we’ve dominated every facet of the game, and, but for our ill-discipline at times, we could have really buried them.
“But there we are, we haven’t – we have to be satisfied with what we’ve got and we’ll work hard this week to ensure that we give our supporters what they’re coming for next Wednesday in the home leg.”
Bristol’s other members of the re-located Dragonhood are former Ospreys and Scarlets scrum-half Martin Roberts, current Wales squad member Matthew Morgan, who is joining the Cardiff Blues next season, former Wales U20 and Sale hooker Marc Jones, wing Ryan Edwards, a reject from the Newport Gwent Dragons, plus ex-Wales and Ospreys conditioning coach Mark Bennett, a former Wales back row forward.
Bristol have lost three times previously at the Championship play-off final stage, but this time appear set to finally win promotion and replace relegated London Irish in the top division.
