New fly-half signing Harry Byrne has been ‘leading’ training this week as Bristol Bears look set to release the Irish international in the number 10 jersey from the off in Sunday’s make-or-break game against Benetton in the Champions Cup.

Bristol are pointless after two pool games in the Champions Cup having come up short against giants Leinster and La Rochelle before Christmas. To have any chance of advancing to the last 16 knockout rounds in the Spring the Bears have to win at Ashton Gate, probably with a bonus point.

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Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam said: “We know it is a case of we win or we go home. We 100 percent want to get through to the last 16. It is not easy, it is not guaranteed, but it is possible”

Byrne, who has been officially registered for Europe by the club, is a key piece of the puzzle having arrived from Leinster last week on a three-month loan deal to fill the shoes of USA international AJ MacGinty who is out until the Spring with a knee injury.

Twenty-five-year-Byrne old came off the bench against Saracens on Saturday in Bristol’s 35-26 defeat at the StoneX Stadium and after a rusty start, having played less than an hour of rugby this season over four appearances off the bench, he began to find his grove in the 36 minutes on the pitch, despite having only had one training session with the team at that point.

And with good reason, so Lam reveals: “The bonus for Harry was that when we played Leinster before Christmas, he was given the role of doing the analysis on us and running our plays as AJ in training. He said he managed to cut Leinster open a few times by running our plays so he had a good handle on what our shape looked like, just not the calls. So that is why he has been able to fit in pretty seamlessly.”

"I don't think many players could do just one training session and then do what he did against Saracens. Seeing him after a couple more training sessions he has already taken a real big lead in that area. He seems very similar to AJ in that, and that is because of the experience and quality of the player."

The Telegraph report that should his services be required, Byrne's loan deal could be extended by a further three months should it suit both parties, which would keep him at Bristol until the end of the season.