WILL Croker has revealed a pre-Christmas “heart-to heart” with his players was the catalyst for Bournemouth’s charge up the National Three South West table.

The Lions have lost only once in their past seven games, and last week pulled off a terrific 30-17 victory at Hornets.

Their rich run of form has seen Bournemouth climb to fifth, five points and two places below Ivybridge, tomorrow’s visitors to Chapel Gate.

But Croker is focusing purely on trying to avenge his side's defeat to the Devon-based team earlier this season, rather than worrying about the bigger picture.

Croker told the Daily Echo: “We had a heart-to-heart before Christmas.

“Some of the players told me I had possibly applied a bit too much pressure by talking about us being real candidates for promotion.

“I wasn’t doing it to try to unsettle them, I genuinely believed it – and I wanted them to share that belief.

“But a few of the boys explained to me that maybe that talk led them to a situation where they thought promotion would just happen.

“Maybe they forgot what the nuts and bolts of gaining promotion are, and the hard work involved in achieving it.

“Since December we’ve talked only about the next job.

“That applies this week. Ivybridge is a game we have to go and win.”

With a clutch of players returning to fitness or, in the case of Toby Kenneally, back from a trip to New Zealand, Croker admitted Tuesday night’s selection meeting was fraught with difficulty.

Such is the competition for places – and the desire for smooth preparation – influential prop Luca Firetto was ruled out early with the ankle injury he sustained at Hornets.

“Selection was a real battle,” said Croker. “Do you stick with the guys who did so well at Hornets, or bring back other guys who are recognised quality?

“Ordinarily we would have given Luca until the end of the week to prove his fitness.

“But last week showed that if you get your preparation right during the week, you very often carry that into a Saturday.

“We wanted to have the squad settled for last night’s training session, so everybody knew they were playing and what exactly their role would be – rather than have some poor fella on standby, on the off-chance he might get a run.”

Their 35-10 defeat at Ivybridge back in October, allied to the fact the same team did the double over Bournemouth last season, is acting as extra motivation for this weekend’s clash.

“Ivybridge are an extremely good team and we will have to be on top of our form to compete with them,” continued Croker.

”We lost there earlier this season, we were poor and it was a real duffing up.

“And it was only them and Exmouth who did the double over us last season.

“We don’t like that. We don’t like losing home games.

"And the fact we have already lost to them this year makes it a real chance for us to see how far we have come.”