Richard Hill has wielded the axe in an attempt to avoid a repeat of Bristol Rugby's embarrassing defeat at Northampton in Sunday's return fixture at the Memorial Stadium.
The head coach, who saw a second-string side hammered 66-3 at Franklin's Gardens last weekend, is bringing back his first team for the European Challenge Cup match.
The Bristol boss, whose team are three points adrift of Newcastle at the bottom of the Guinness Premiership, had hoped to field his fringe men again to give them game-time and reduce the risk of injury to those upon whose shoulders the club's Premiership survival rests.
But he has been forced to recall Ed Barnes, David Lemi and Shaun Perry to his backs, while bolstering his pack with Robert Sidoli, Alfie To'oala, Dan Ward-Smith and club captain Joe El Abd.
And seasoned Bristol campaigner Matt Salter, who captained the side last weekend, believes Hill has rung the changes not just because of the record European defeat but with a view to re-establishing some consistency ahead of their next Premiership match at Worcester.
"There's been chopping and changing between competitions and the first team have been mainly playing the Premiership games," said the former club captain. "I think it doesn't build much continuity in the squad, and leading into the game against Worcester we need to give these guys a run-out and play them.
"And after a team gets beaten by 66 points, obviously there are going to be people that paid the price."
Of those who started at Franklin's Gardens, Vunga Lilo, Kevin Maggs, Anthony Elliott, Peter Bracken, Mariano Sambucetti and James Phillips have been dropped. Salter retains his place in the squad and insists it is the players, not the management, who should take responsibility for the result.
"Since I've been involved with the club, it's the biggest defeat we've ever had," he said. "Obviously we had every intention of playing well and pushing on from reasonable performances over the last few weeks but sometimes it doesn't go your way and no one else but the players can hold their hands up for it.
"I'm sure all the boys who played against Northampton will want to put the record straight.
"Unfortunately some of them haven't been given the chance – some of them probably deserve the chance – but this club needs to put in a good performance at home.
"I think you've got to put out possibly what you believe is your best squad and that's what we've done."
Salter added Bristol need to deliver on the field when the Saints visit Bristol this weekend and said words are no replacement for performances.
"People don't realise how much of what goes on on-the-field is down to the players," said the flanker. "And when a performance is poor, similar to ours on the weekend, then it's up to the players to either put it right the next week or apologise.
"But an apology makes no difference. It doesn't matter until you play your next game and put it right. Words are cheap really."
Bristol (provisional squad): Backs – L Arscott, T Arscott, G Barden, E Barnes, G Beveridge, N Brew, L Eves A Jarvis, D Lemi, S Perry, L Robinson. Forwards – D Attwood, D Blaney, N Budgett, A Clarke, D Crompton, J El-Abd, M Irish, S Linklater, R Pennycook, M Salter, R Sidoli, A To'oala, D Ward-Smith.
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