DAVID Dunn is set to put his faith in veteran 6ft 7in second row Tim Collier as relegation-threatened Lions aim to stop the rot.

The ex-Harlequins lock is in line to start when Bournemouth visit fellow strugglers Southend in a potentially vital clash tomorrow (3pm).

Lions, who have lost six successive National Two South matches, will be aiming to climb away from the danger zone.

And director of rugby Dunn believes forwards coach Collier will have a key role to play following Tim Seward’s season-ending injury.

Dunn told the Daily Echo: “The plan was always going to be to use Tim Collier a bit more in these last eight games. We are expecting a little bit more control up front and he is very good at giving us that.

“His additional knowledge, know-how and experience can count for a great deal.”

Dunn added: “It was a tough January and February and we knew it was going to be. We played all the top teams in the league but now we have eight games against the lower-ranked teams, which brings a different pressure. There is pressure on us to turn our scoring into winning margins.”

Dunn confirmed that second row Seward was expected to miss the rest of the campaign with a fractured cheekbone, while Dean Pearce (shoulder) remains sidelined.

But fly-half Ben Stevenson is available and Lions are hoping to have Andy Spikings in contention following a knee injury.

Lions: (from) Burns, Spikings, Carrel, Wilford, Manning, Firetto, Andrews, Forrest, Collier, Booth, Grace, Peart, Vaughan-Edwards, Hardcastle, Veneroso, Drake, Connolly, Hart, Chislett, Robinson, Pollard, Stevenson.