BOURNEMOUTH may have achieved their five-year National League plan – but new captain Alan Manning insists his charges are not happy with simply being there “by default”.

Lions kick off their National Three South West campaign against Chinnor at Chapel Gate tomorrow (3pm) following the RFU’s league restructure for 2009, which saw South West One rebranded under the National League banner.

But despite the Chapel Gate outfit’s new-found status, Manning believes the National League accolade won’t truly be achieved unless his side can gain promotion at the first time of asking.

He said: “This league is so unpredictable that we can’t really say who is going to do what. We are obviously looking for promotion this year, though, and the attitude among the players is great.

“We are working on more technical aspects of the game rather than going in solely on fitness and I think that shows how much the coaches want to push for the title this year.

“We’re not happy with National Three by default. We want to be in National Two on merit and I think if we work hard, we’ve got the squad to do it.”

Former Scotland under-19 hooker Frazer Wilford has joined the Chapel Gate ranks and is set to start tomorrow, with fellow ex-Havant centre Ben Stewart also ready for his Lions league debut.

Tony Naulumatua, also a summer recruit, starts at scrum-half with Sam Hardcastle sidelined by an ankle injury, while former Wimborne forward Riad Lynch is named on Dunn’s bench.

Lions: Wareham, Wilford, Manning, Ford, Forrest, Hughes, Kiely, Crombie, Naulumatua, Ngapaku, Pope, Chislett, Stewart, Hearson, Davies. Subs: Lynch, Dunkerley, Barter.

Kiwi Brendon Daniel will settle for nothing less than a “top-two finish” this season, according to Oakmeadians’ Will Croker.

Daniel joined the club over the summer after relocating to Bournemouth and makes his league debut as Oaks kick off their South West One East campaign with a trip to rivals Salisbury tomorrow (3pm).

And with the likes of ex-Wasps academy wing Will Samuels also joining the club over the summer, veteran second row Croker echoed Daniel’s belief that a second consecutive promotion is well within the Meyrick Parkers’ sights.

Croker said: “Brendon, Will and Shane Coughlan have just fitted in brilliantly.

“We’ve set ourselves the target of going up again, even though James (Croker, coach) had originally looked at just the top four.

“But then Brendon came in and immediately said he wouldn’t settle for anything less than a top-two finish.”

Ex-Wasps hooker Coughlan is unavailable for tomorrow’s trip to Wiltshire, but both Daniel and Samuels are set for starts alongside Fijian wizard Bunny Burenivalu, former Bournemouth scrum-half Jamie Mitchell and new prop Beau Henrickson.

Hayden Hokianga will continue to captain the side after his retirement U-turn over the summer break.

Oaks: Bongard, R Stephenson, Henrickson, Hudson, Croker, Richards, Hokianga, Flower, Mitchell, Tryska, McTaggart, Samuels, Morgan, Burenivalu, Daniel. Subs: Rutter, Bell, Davies.

Swanage and Wareham visit Marlow in South West One East, while Wimborne travel to Bradford on Avon and North Dorset face Sherborne away in Southern Counties South (3pm).