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Bristol captain Fitz Harding says there is still a lot for the team to achieve this season despite a struggle for consistency in results.

The Bears exited the European Champions Cup at the group stage last weekend after losing to Connacht.

They are also eighth in the Premiership and 10 points away from the top four with seven games of the season remaining.

"Consistency is always a problem for a team," Harding told �鶹�� Radio Bristol.

"I don't like the term 'in a period of transition' because I think it implies a lot of things that we're not, but we're certainly a team that's learning all the time.

"I think this season, even though we've had a lot of results that haven't gone our way on paper, the actual performances have definitely been a step up from where they have been in the last couple of seasons.

"If you look at our fixture list now, our run-in to the season, we believe we can gather a lot of momentum.

"There's a real belief in the squad that this season isn't just a tick box for us, there's still a lot we feel we can achieve."

Bristol face a massive home derby against high-flying Bath on Saturday, before the league takes a seven-week break during the Six Nations.

A sell-out crowd is expected at Ashton Gate for the game and while Bristol have three wins in their past four Premiership matches, it comes a week after back-to-back European defeats.

Director of rugby Pat Lam described the 27-10 defeat by Connacht as the "most disappointing loss" of the season.

"We couldn't have asked for a better game this week," Harding said.

"Coming off the back of last week, which was really disappointing, but we know how much this game means to our community and the city.

"These are the kind of games that define seasons, these are the kind of games fans remember.

"If we win this weekend and put a good performance in, that's a really big moment for us."

Lam has made five changes to the side that played in Europe for the derby, with winger Siva Naulago named on the bench in what is his first appearance since May last year due to injury.

Bath are without eight England internationals who have been called up to the team's Six Nations squad, although Finn Russell, Cameron Redpath, Josh Bayliss and Archie Griffin are all in the side despite being called up for Scotland and Wales.