By Adam Hunter

Bournemouth search for a second victory of the season on Saturday as they welcome Esher to Chapel Gate.

The Surrey side - coached by former England and British & Irish Lions back-rower Peter Winterbottom - lost out in a tight relegation battle in National One last season and are looking to bounce straight back up at the first attempt.

Lions hope to make it successive home wins after defeating Westcliff 39-12 a fortnight ago. And interim Performance Director, Richard Sharp, is looking forward to the encounter.

“Those of us that have been around this league before know Esher,” he says.

“They have a strong 10-man game, whereas we play a wider and more expansive brand of rugby, so it could be quite an interesting contest.”

Sharp accepts that Esher are a big, well-established club with a fine pedigree, but will be encouraged looking back through their results so far this campaign. The Molesey Road club have struggled on the road, going down in close matches to mid-table Redruth on opening day, and more recently to Bury St. Edmunds. Even in their five wins they have shipped 104 points, including 34 away at 14th-placed Barnes.

And the Bournemouth man believes that his team has the game plan to overcome their more established opponents.

“We expect a physical encounter, with their big pack playing inside that 10,” he notes.

“It is about being abrasive on the gain line, and then looking to move the ball wide to our speedsters and make their big boys run around: really tire them out and look to finish the game off in the last twenty minutes.”

With upheaval within the leadership team in recent weeks, Sharp is keen to stress that embedding the new coaches and new ideas will take a little time.

“We are still going through a period of readjustment, and that does come with its difficulties,” he admits.

“The coaches are really getting to know each other and seeing where their skills are best-placed to develop this squad of players - that definitely comes with some friction.”

Lions’ new-look coaching team are delighted to welcome experience back into the XV for Saturday’s clash.

Mike Davis returns to the front-row in place of Tom Napier, a move designed in part to counter Esher’s size up front and powerful set-piece.

“Mike has been gagging to get back in the first team for the last couple of weeks playing in the 2s so he is ready to go against Esher,” Sharp says.

“With him and Luca Firetto we have got a big, solid front-row.”

Back-row Toby Kenneally completes his comeback after a lengthy absence with injury, a journey that has seen him rise through the third and second teams. This weekend he starts at blind-side flanker.

“He was sensational off the bench last week,” says Sharp.

“Toby is a big game player, he lives for the big games, lives for first team rugby.”

Fly-half Mike Pope continues his recovery from concussion sustained against Westcliff, so local boy Danny Kirkpatrick comes in for his first start, with Scott Chislett moving back to his regular position at centre.

“We are really excited to see Danny with Sammy Hardcastle and Scott either side of him,” Sharp says.

“This could be the start of something big for him, and a chance to cement his place in our first team.”

And Sharp rejects the notion that the regular changes in key positions are unsettling the players.

“Despite what seems like quite a lot of changes to the team sheet, these are all experienced first team players at Bournemouth.

“They bring different unique attributes to a Saturday the squad on match day, so this is a very strong first XV.”

With upwards of fifty players at training and in contention for a place in the matchday squad, Sharp feels there is depth and competition for places that will only spur the players on.

“I even looked at our 2nd team - that is a National Two winning team,” he says confidently.

“There is such strength in depth, and the club is just buzzing at the moment.

“We’ve got a lot of hungry players coming back into the first XV and bringing a lot of experience with them, so it’s going to be an absolute humdinger on Saturday.”

An expectant home crowd awaits.

Bournemouth v Esher - Chapel Gate - Saturday 26 October - 3pm