BOURNEMOUTH front rower Joe Tarrant says there is a target on their backs at the top of the South West Premier table.
The table toppers welcome tenth team Drybrook to Chapel Gate this Saturday looking to seal a league double following the Nick Wood-officiated 27-14 bonus-point away win at the end of October.
The Lions have been in great form since their last meeting in Gloucestershire, and have lost just once since then and Tarrant cannot wait to get stuck in.
He said: “It feels great to go into this week with another win on the road after we won 33-31 at Cleve last weekend.
“It is so hard to win away from home in this league, especially with everyone out to get our scalp, so playing at home this week we will be confident.
“I, personally, quite like the pressure of having a target on our backs - where everyone is out to beat us at the top of the table.”
The Lions pushed a massive 15 points clear of second side Barnstaple following the Devon side’s 27-19 defeat at Bournemouth’s opponents this week.
The Mannings Ground men are in a good spell of form after winning their last two outings - 27-7 at County rivals basement boys Old Pats last week and 17-13 at home to bottom but one Newton Abbot the week before.
But Tarrant says one look at the league table will show his side will still be favourites for victory - which comes with the added pressure they must handle somehow.
He added: “It is a lot of pressure on us, whereas our opposition - they are the underdog.
“It is quite nice to be the underdog because you can really just push and try your hardest.
“Whereas we have just got to try and be composed and just try and play our phases of rugby, and get the results no matter how tight it is.”