Gloucester head coach Dean Ryan says the tough games his team have faced recently are ideal preparation for the Premiership play-offs.

The Cherry and Whites won at Wasps on Sunday and play Bath this Saturday.

"We could have arrived at this stage and won a couple of games against sides that have nothing to play for," Ryan told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"We could have moved through not being in good shape. But playing these types of sides gives us a lot of confidence."

A win at Kingsholm against second-placed Bath would guarantee the Cherry-and-Whites a home semi-final in the play-offs, as Ryan is all too aware.

606: DEBATE Come on everyone, let's get behind the boys, get the result we deserve and prove Stuart Barnes wrong! tj_fudge

"If we can get some success at the weekend that will put us in great shape," he said.

"You know these games now are big games week-in-week-out, probably against the same two or three sides each time, so we'll probably meet one or the other again.

"It will obviously give us a boost if we do well this weekend."