Gloucester are set to go head-to-head with West Country rivals Bristol Bears in the race to land Blue Bulls tighthead Mornay Smith on a deal from the start of next season.
Max Malins' planned return to action has been pushed back by a couple of weeks with Bristol Bears boss Pat Lam forecasting another month on the sidelines for the full-back/wing.
.Bristol boss Pat Lam believes his Gallagher Premiership leaders should be unbeaten after the first block of six league games.
Bristol regained top spot in the Gallagher Premiership as centre Kalaveti Ravouvou scored two tries to underpin a 31-23 victory over champions Northampton at Ashton Gate.
Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Pacific Island duo, Fijian Kalaveti Ravouvou and Samoan international Steven Luatua, have recovered from injury to hand Bristol Bears boss Pat Lam a triple boost ahead of Friday night's visit by Northampton Saints.
Bristol Bears Director of Rugby Pat Lam has confirmed that Max Malins, the Gallagher Premiership's leading try-scorer, will be out for around eight weeks after suffering a knee injury in last Saturday's derby win at Bath.
Bath’s first defeat of the season came after a dominant first-half display from a Bristol side inspired by flanker Santiago Grondona.
A combative and error-strewn first half at Kingston Park finished 5-3 after the visiting Bears were unable to build on an early try from James Williams.