HEAD coach Will Croker hailed Jack Hennings as “a fantastic clubman” after the experienced campaigner made his hundredth start in Bournemouth’s 20-14 win over Newton Abbot.

The blindside flanker achieved the milestone as Lions earned back-to-back wins in National Three South West in front of the Chapel Gate faithful.

And Croker praised Hennings’s influence at the club, explaining how the number six provided the ideal foil for Lions' emerging youngsters.

Croker told the Daily Echo: “It was a big milestone for him and he has been such a big player for us over the past few weeks.

“Jack played at a very good level with Henley prior to coming to Bournemouth and he is a big character.

“He’s one of those guys who, even when I’m shouting and screaming, brings people in and gives them a positive spin on things.

“He’s a real follow-me player. When he starts going forward, he makes a big impact. It’s evident that when he plays well, it lifts other people around him.

“He’s been a fantastic clubman and we are very lucky to have him.

“We are trying to manage his body a bit more now he is getting a bit older in order to get as much as we can out of him over the next few years.

“We are going to need people of his sort of experience in order to help us develop. With what we have planned for next season, someone like him being a standard-bearer for what we’re going to do will be a huge boost.

“It’s about getting the balance right. You need the energy and enthusiasm youngsters bring but there are moments in games where you need someone to pull everyone in and tell players how we need to play in certain areas of pitch.

“Jack does that and does it well.”

After relegation-battlers Newton Abbot inched in front with a penalty, Grant Hancox ran in Bournemouth’s first try and converted.

The teams then slotted a penalty apiece to leave the scoreline at 10-6 in Lions’ favour.

After the break, both sides notched further three-pointers and with 13 minutes left, Alan Manning touched down for his first try of the season. From a tricky position, Hancox added the extras.

In the dying embers, Newton Abbot grabbed a try of their own to reduce the deficit.

Discussing his overall emotions about the clash, Croker added: “It was a strange game, it never really got going.

“We knew they would be fired up. It wasn’t pretty and won’t go down as one of the all-time great games but we will definitely take the win.

“Newton Abbot are a good club and they are definitely not the worst team we’ve played this season.

“We didn’t have the ball for the first 15 minutes and they absolutely pummelled us but only came away with three points, which probably set us up for the victory.

“I never felt we were going to lose it.”