GLOUCESTER'S interim head coach Jonny Bell was delighted with the first game since he took over from Laurie Fisher, a 32-14 derby win at Bristol's Ashton Gate ground.

Bell said: "We soaked up a lot of pressure. We knew Bristol would come hard at us, and we had to defend very well.

"We are not getting ahead of ourselves. We've talked about the next four or five weeks being like a mini-season for us, and we are clearly delighted to get the win.

"A couple of weeks ago (Gloucester lost at home to Harlequins) has come and gone, and there is a lot of water under the bridge since then. It shows a huge amount of character in the side.

"We have got to be honest and make sure we rectify the things we didn't do well, but we asked for a performance that was built around spirit and a tight group of players who were willing to roll their sleeves up, and we are delighted that we came out on the right side of it."