By Adam Hunter

Bournemouth travel to Bristol on Saturday to take on early promotion hopefuls Clifton at Station Road.

The south coast side are buoyed by the news that youngster Conrad Carkeet has been named NCA National Two South Player of the Week, after his sensational performance in the club’s win over Westcliff last weekend.

And interim Performance Director, Richard Sharp, is excited to see the back-row forward in action again on Saturday.

“It has been great to watch Conrad’s progress this season, and such a young man at 19 years old,” he said.

“We think there is a real bright future ahead for him.”

Sharp also welcomes ex-Worcester Warriors forward, Tim Collier, back to the club as coach.

“Tim brings a wealth of Premiership playing experience and a certain edge to training. It has been great to watch the intensity really picking up again this week.”

Clifton - who finished best of the rest in sixth place in National Two South last season, outside of a runaway top five - are enjoying their best start to a league campaign in years, having racked up five wins in their first six matches.

Lions come into the clash energised by their first league win last weekend as they defeated fellow strugglers Westcliff 39-12 at Chapel Gate, a win that lifted them off the bottom of the table.

And Sharp feels their opponents’ record this campaign is a little misleading.

“They are currently sitting 4th, but they haven’t played any of the top 6 teams yet. We have played some of the hardest teams, so we are anticipating a really tight game on Saturday and expecting to get a result”

The hosts have shown chinks in their armour in a series of wins that has seen them concede an average of twenty-three points per game, and Bournemouth will target tries against an opponent vulnerable to their relentless attacking style of play.

Energised by last week’s victory, the Lions coaches wanted to improve again with consistency of selection. Injuries, though, have made that impossible. A serious head injury to Mike Pope against Westcliff sees the fly-half sidelined for two weeks with concussion. Centre Scott Chislett - veteran of over three hundred appearances for the club - moves into the 10 jersey, with homegrown favourite Carlos Snell coming off the bench to take his place at centre. The team also welcomes back prolific try-scorer Adam Higgins after a long injury lay-off.

Sharp adds that he is blessed with a big and competitive squad, making selection decisions ever-more challenging: a problem that he is happy to have.

“Last weekend’s result against Westcliff has certainly energised the club - there is a real buzz back amongst the support staff and the players,” he said.

“Everyone’s looking to build on that this week, and it’s been really great to be a part of.”