WORCESTER Warriors director of rugby Dean Ryan believes the ‘fantastic’ playing surface at Ashton Gate will lead to an exciting spectacle today.

Ryan once played at Bristol Rugby Club’s new home ground when he was in Gloucester’s ranks.

He thinks the surface will suit Warriors’ style of play in the Greene King IPA Championship opener.

Ashton Gate is also the home of League One Bristol City Football Club and Ryan says the stadium is a good venue for rugby union.

“I have played at Ashton Gate before with Gloucester when a game was taken to the ground,” said Ryan.

“The surface is fantastic and, from the experience I had there, it’s a good rugby venue.

“It will be a pretty fast track and, with it being the first game of the season, there will probably be a reasonably high error rate.

“Somebody will capitalise on the errors and it should be quite an exciting start.”

Andy Robinson’s Bristol lost in the Championship play-offs last term and have switched from the Memorial Ground to Ashton Gate.

He thinks the new venue will generate a good atmosphere for the eagerly-awaited clash with Warriors, which is being screened live on Sky Sports.

Robinson said: “We would like to think that we will have good support turning up for our first match at Ashton Gate, our new home, and we are looking forward to welcoming a lot of Bristol supporters.

“The pitch is a sensational pitch to play on. It’s always good to have really good underfoot conditions and the whole atmosphere that is going to be created will be fantastic. The sense that this new for the club is important for everybody involved.”

Meanwhile, Ryan insists this season’s Championship title battle will not solely be a two-way fight between Warriors and Bristol.

“We know the amount of pressure that is on us and, for us, this is about creating a successful Premiership club,” said Ryan, “But we have not come into the Championship to say it’s a two-horse race. We have got to get a lot better than we are and we think we have the capacity to do that.

“Someone is going to cause us problems, someone is going to play really well and some squads will stay together and they will be a threat.

“Whatever the standard is on Sunday, I doubt whether that will be the level required to get into the play-offs or to win the play-offs.

“But we won’t fool ourselves and I doubt Bristol will. I will be a lot happier on Monday should we put a win in my back pocket.”