Shaun Perry and Dan Ward-Smith are expected to leave Bristol

Bristol scrum-half Shaun Perry has said the club's future is in safe hands due to the good work of their academy.

Bristol's tenure in the Guinness Premiership looks doomed with the club 12 points off the pace after a 45-8 thrashing at West country rivals Bath.

But Perry told BBC Radio Bristol the debut of hooker Ollie Hayes at Bath highlights the developing talent.

"It shows the academy, although it's not big, is working well. That's what they need to push the club forward."

Perry added: "You can't just put out 15 under-20s, otherwise they're just lambs to the slaughter.

"You need the old heads in there like Roy Winters and Darren Crompton to pass on knowledge to the younger boys.

"But what better way to make your Premiership debut for Ollie than to come down to Bath and play. It's awesome.

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"Dave Atwood came off the bench and made some good ball carries and Redford Pennycook's a young lad but was outstanding at six. The potential's there."

Winter and Crompton have put pen to paper on new deals as new head coach Paul Hull looks to the future.

But it is unlikely the likes of Perry and Dan Ward-Smith, who is reportedly coveted by Wasps, will be there for a new campaign in rugby's second tier.

"I signed for three years at the beginning of the season," added Perry, who has been linked with a move to join the English exodus to Brive.

"However, the playing budget is being cut. It would be a shame if I had to move on."

Hull said: "We'll control what we can control. It's the start of a new dawn.

"It looks like we might not be playing in the Premiership but the nucleus is there with the seven signings we made.

"Ollie was chucked in at the deep end when David Blaney went off early on and did really well under trying circumstances. I was really pleased with him."

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