5:54pm Tuesday 26th January 2010
By Phil Chard
FORMER Worcester and Harlequins lock Tim Collier made a telling start to his Bournemouth career during their fighting 34-27 reverse at unbeaten Taunton.
The ex-Premiership second row has joined Lions from Barking after travelling to London for training with the National Two South leaders became a problem because of work commitments.
And Barking’s loss is the Dorset side’s gain if the Chapel Gate outfit’s sterling display in Somerset is anything to go by.
Tries from Rory Hearson, Scott Chislett, James Payne and Tim Seward saw Bournemouth snatch two league points, one for grabbing four touchdowns and one for losing by just seven points.
With Simon McFarlane slotting over two conversions and one penalty, fiery Lions threatened to overhaul a 19-point deficit and become the first side to topple Taunton in the league since 2008.
But runaway National Three South West pacesetters Taunton held out in the end, prompting Lions coach David Dunn to say of his side’s display: “It was an awesome performance.
“We said we’d give them a good game and we certainly gave them a real fright. We were chasing shadows in the first quarter, but as soon as we got the ball into our hands we started to cause a few problems.”
Dunn, whose side trailed 27-8 with only 37 minutes to go, added: “We finished the stronger and they were really worried that their 38-game unbeaten run would fall, and we came very close to doing that.
“They’ve conceded on average eight points a game this season, whereas we scored four tries and took home two league points.
“We were very disappointed we lost, but to come away from Taunton with two league points was brilliant because no-one else had done that this season.”
Lions lost Iain Crombie to a recurring knee ligament injury in only the 35th minute.
And they unexpectedly went into the clash without star three-quarter Mike Pope, who suffered a dead leg during a Dorset & Wiltshire under-21 trial.
But Bournemouth were boosted by the big impact Collier, who has also lined up for Rugby Lions, Bridgend, London Welsh and in South African and French club rugby, made on his Lions debut.
Dunn said: “Tim made a great start considering he is just getting to know us. He made a great contribution with the ball in hand and his performance augurs well for the future.”
Bournemouth: K Lynch, Higgins, Payne, Davies (James 76), Hearson, McFarlane, Chislett, Wareham, Wilford (R Lynch 45), Manning, Collier, Brooks, Seward, Le Roux (Crombie 35), Stevenson.
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