EXPERIENCED scrum-half Sam Hardcastle has been drafted into the Bournemouth team for their final South West Premier home game of the season.
Veteran halfback Hardcastle comes in for Liam Driscoll at nine who is unavailable for the meeting with bottom side Old Patesians at Chapel Gate (3pm).
The Level Five champions crushed the Cheltenham side 50-0 away from home in the season opener and thumped bottom-but-one Newton Abbot 54-10 last week, and Croker said he is motivated by maintaining their good home form.
He said: “As far as we are concerned, we are absolutely delighted that even though we perhaps did not play to our best last Saturday, we were still able to get the win against Newton Abbot which has teed us up for this game knowing that if we can beat them then we can maintain our undefeated home record - a record that now goes back to October 2017.
“We welcome back Sam Hardcastle back into the squad with Liam Driscoll unavailable due to family reasons, but apart from that the squad remains pretty much unchanged.
“We are looking forward to hopefully being able to put on a bit of a festival of rugby in front of the home crowd which has been such a huge part of everything we have done this year.”
The Lions have roared their way to promotion this season with just one defeat in their 25 games so far this campaign at third team Maidenhead.
But with Croker fully aware of the attacking threats his opposition possess, he is not taking them lightly and is hoping to learn from their plight after they were promoted.
Croker added: “This week sees us play Old Patesians in our final game of the season.
“It has been a tough season for them because they have taken a step back up into this league having been relegated a couple of seasons ago.
“They have found it a big step up and they are in a bit of a rugby hotbed in Cheltenham - with so many clubs around them who are drawing players to them.
“They have tried to play rugby in the right way - in an attacking way - and unfortunately it has not quite worked out for them, so we wish them the very best for next season and I hope they are able to bounce straight back.”

Bournemouth: Grant Hancox (captain); Dan Stewart, Freddie Gleadowe, Scott Chislett, Adam Higgins; Sammy Veneroso, Sam Hardcastle (change, Driscoll); Michael Davies, Alan Manning, Gianluca Firetto (vice captain); Harry Leadbeater, Jack Hennings; Ben Allman, Ben Russell, Ali Bennett.
Replacements: Joe Spiller, Conrad Chunk Carkeet, Carlos Snell.