Bristol 'up against it' to reach top four - Ward

Bristol Bears are seven points outside the PWR top four with five games left to play

Bristol Bears are "running out of games" to finish in the top four of the Premiership Women's Rugby says head coach Dave Ward.

The Bears were beaten 40-17 by neighbours Gloucester-Hartpury on Sunday and remain fifth in the table, seven points behind Saracens in fourth although with a game in hand.

They travel to third-placed Exeter Chiefs on Sunday in their first of five games to end the regular season.

"We're running out of games and we got zero points in that game [against Gloucester-Hartpury]," Ward told BBC Radio Bristol.

"All of a sudden we're becoming a bit more detached now. I think from that perspective if we lose at Sandy Park we're in real trouble. I'm not saying top four is out of the question but we're going to be up against it.

"That Exeter game becomes really important."

The Bears have twice been semi-finalists, and reached the Premiership final for the first time in their history last June but were beaten by Gloucester-Hartpury to the title.

After Exeter they play Leicester, Trailfinders and Loughborough, before a trip to league leaders Harlequins for their final game of the regular season on 14 February.

Hannah Botterman (right) was part of the Bristol team that reached the PWR final last season

England and Bristol prop Hannah Botterman agreed that the pressure was starting to ramp up on the team to perform.

"We've got to look at ourselves internally, and just try to get better. It's coming to a point in the season now where if you don't start getting results that top four is looking unlikely," Botterman said.

"It's still very possible we just need to start getting some better results and getting some points on the board."

The 25-year-old forward believes the changes the team needs to make are smaller details rather than wholesale improvements.

"We need to be better at exiting from our 22 - whether we run it out or we kick it out we need to be better organised in that area and hopefully that will help us," she said.

"Then singing off the same song sheet when we're in important areas of the pitch. It's nothing that can't be fixed, it's very fixable, but we've just got to implement it and get it done."