LIAM Middleton is targeting two wins over the festive period to launch Bristol firmly back into the promotion picture.
Five wins in a row, three of which came in the Championship, have put Bristol's season back on the rails after a shaky start.
Doncaster visit the Memorial Stadium on Sunday, before a New Year's Day trip to Penzance to face Cornish Pirates.
Bristol can return to the all-important top four if results go their way this weekend – and head coach Middleton is not thinking about anything other than back-to-back victories in the next 11 days.
"Wins against Doncaster and Cornish Pirates would change our fortunes significantly – two losses and it has the opposite effect," said Middleton.
"I'm not contemplating any losses in the next fortnight, but we've got two pretty tough games.
"And if we could win twice, it would reflect in the league table and put some pressure on the top three teams – they would know we are coming."
The head coach is taking nothing for granted, though, starting with this weekend's visit of lowly Doncaster, who are one place off the bottom of the table.
Bristol were 18-9 winners at Castle Park in September, but Doncaster, who recently brought coach Clive Griffiths back to the club, have shown a slight improvement in their results of late.
"In Clive Griffiths, they have a new coach, and I don't know if he's changed their fortunes but they've won two of their last three games, so they will come here with some confidence," said Middleton.
"So you mix in a new coach, who will spike their performance, with a heavy pack, on what is likely to be a slippery surface – and throw in the fact they will be confident despite their league position.
"Plus, when a team is facing relegation, it always pushes them to be a little bit better – there's no complacency. I'm expecting a pretty big challenge for us – it's not a game we can take lightly in any way.
"They are fighting for their lives and they will have some belief because they have had some input from a new coach.
"The Championship has shown, more than one time this season, that league position is irrelevant on a Sunday afternoon at 3pm."
After Sunday's game, Bristol's players will have three days – Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day – off before preparations for the trip to Pirates begin.
And Middleton is relieved to be able to give his squad an extended break over the holiday period.
"The way the fixtures have worked out, the players have got three days off after Sunday, which is unusual," he said.
"You've usually got a Boxing Day game, which means you have to train on Christmas Day, or at least something around that period.
"So we've been blessed from that perspective, in that we can give the guys three days off, which is a good mental refresher, but then on their first day back they've got a double weights session, so they know what's coming!"
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