They don't want me to recruit a load of South Africans and New Zealanders just to get up."Bristol are aiming for mid-table this season, followed by a top-three finish and promotion in years two and three. On the field, a new team, with ex-England scrum-half Richard Hill in charge, lost three of their first four matches at the start of the National League One campaign and have no chance of challenging the twin pacesetters, Worcester and Orrell, who meet in Lancashire in a fortnight.Hill says that is fine for now. "The Bristol supporters understand that if you go for immediate promotion you need a budget of between £1m and £1.8m, as Worcester have got. Nevertheless, the heavy investment in infrastructure and players among the Zurich clubs is ring-fencing the top flight almost by default. Bristol have been in this division before, but the gap is widening and though they have a three-year plan to bounce back they may want to get on with it faster than that.The initial step was a successful takeover by a new board fronted by former players Nigel Pomphrey and Alan Morley (the former owner, Malcolm Pearce, retains a one-eighth interest). When they relinquished their place among the moneyed ?te last May, their plight, ironically, drew a record Premiership crowd of 20,763 to a "home" win over Bath at Ashton Gate.There are those who would like to pull up the drawbridge altogether, but automatic promotion was subsequently preserved by the casting vote of the RFU's chief executive, Francis Baron.

We'll keep the family atmosphere and enjoy days like these."The enjoyment was keenly felt by the majority of a season's best crowd of 1,700, who mustered four or five deep along the touchlines, ears muffled from the cold and blissfully (to the old-fashioned among us) unassailed by such Premiership trappings as manic public-address announcers or thumping pop music.Bristol's sizeable travelling support reflects their history, troubled in recent times though it is. "If we had another £100,000 to spend on players we'd be in the top half of the table, but we don't have the necessary funding to reach the Premiership. As for the ground meeting the Premiership's entry criteria, forget it."The essence for us is to be competitive in this division," explained Nigel Dudding, Henley's head coach, who worked alongside Woodward in the 1990s. Yesterday they were too good for Bristol, whose relegation from the Premiership brought them to Dry Leas for the first time in a competitive fixture and demonstrated how far the mighty have fallen.Henley improved their facilities last summer, when they assisted the Rugby Football Union stage the Under-21 World Cup, but their grandstand, though spick and span, seats only 150 (I was allocated No 123). A tough result for Henley's then coach to swallow, but Sir Clive Woodward has not done too badly since. Nor have his old club, who were promoted under him in that 1993-94 season and have remained in the national leagues.

A decade ago, Henley went to Bristol, very much their elders and betters intraditional rugby terms, and lost 46-6. "Having quality people all around you makes you a better player. We've got a very successful squad and I'm just delighted to be a part of it.''. "The subject is a massive passion but at the last minute I bottled it. I thought I might go mad.'' Recently he competed on the TV show Countdown, winning two rounds and a teapot, which has been placed alongside the Wasps silverware, plus the blue riband for winning the Premiership last season, in the trophy cabinet at the clubhouse."I'm learning all the time,'' Erinle said.

"I fell asleep on the sofa,'' he said.Regarded at the club as a bit of an egghead, Erinle turned down a course in astronomy and astrophysics in Newcastle. It's OK if you lay off the sauce at least a day before training.'' He is almost embarrassed to admit it, but he missed Lawrence Dallaglio's post-World Cup testimonial bash after the victory parade in London. There are not many players who think they're not that good.''Erinle (his Christian name means "joy in wealth") watched the World Cup final at the Orange Tree pub in Richmond, where the lager went down rather well. "I had a rib injury, and when Jason Robinson scored his try I think I damaged them even more But what a great feeling. I started only nine matches last season, and this season it's been four.