WILL Croker was proud of his Bournemouth players after they came through a difficult, protracted afternoon to beat Brixham 44-26.

The two and a half hours it took Lions to chalk up their first victory of the National Three South West campaign was longer than it took the first 117 finishers to complete the marathon course at last month’s Olympic Games in Rio.

Play was held up at Chapel Gate for 40 minutes early in the first half after visiting winger Jean-Pierre Simonetti suffered a double leg break.

Bournemouth’s Duncan Soden was subsequently forced off with a dislocated collarbone, while team-mate Dave Bates sustained medial and anterior cruciate ligament damage.

Another Brixham player, Connor Bedwell, was knocked out after he received an accidental knee to the head. And Croker was left to reflect on something of a war of attrition, albeit one which also featured some dynamic rugby.

“It was nuts,” the head coach told the Daily Echo. “It was the longest game of rugby I’ve ever been involved in. Our third team kicked off later than us and their game had finished before we reached half-time.

“It wasn’t a dirty game. It was played in a good spirit. The guys from Brixham are a really good bunch of lads. The match was just played in a physical manner.”

Wyn Roberts’s four tries proved the standout contribution for a Bournemouth team that had opened its season with narrow defeats to Brackley and Salisbury.

The speedy Alex Everett-Bolter also crossed against Brixham and the trusty boot of Grant Hancox supplied a further 19 points.

“I was incredibly proud of my guys for retaining their focus,” said Croker. “We got off to a stuttering start in the first two away matches.

“We weren’t playing the way we wanted to play but on Saturday we scored some sensational tries. I was incredibly pleased with the way the guys put Brixham to bed.

“We had a real focus this week on making sure we retained possession. When we keep the ball and get to phases four, five and six there are very few teams that can defend against our raw pace.”

Bournemouth, up to seventh in the table following their victory, next travel to Lydney. Their visit to the Forest of Dean club presents Croker’s side with the challenge of performing at their peak following a lengthy journey.

And the head coach is mindful of the need for his players to be primed for action come kick-off.

“It almost becomes a psychological issue,” Croker added. “Nearly every away game for us is a minimum two-hour trip. If we want to go up we have to deal with it.

“Once we get there it’s a case of not talking about it, getting onto the pitch, walking around it and trying to feel like you own the place a little bit.”