JAY Herne admits he jumped at the chance of re-joining Buccaneers after scorching to a maximum on his comeback from injury.

The Aussie ace, who skippered Bournemouth Castle Cover to a National League and cup double last year, broke his back and foot in a fall at Newport in March.

But he made a stunning comeback at Weymouth on Friday when he scorched to four straight heat wins as a guest for Bristol in a 45-45 draw.

That alerted Buccaneers boss Garry May to his availability and he snapped up Herne as their new number one and Ritchie Worrall as a reserve yesterday.

They will line up in Buccan-eers’ double-header against King’s Lynn and Rye House at Poole on Sunday.

Herne and Worrall, who guested for the Dorset side in a 45-44 defeat at King’s Lynn last weekend, replace injured Jerran Hart and out-of-form Aaron Baseby.

The Sydneysider, who turns 26 on September 22, said: “This couldn’t have come at a better time for me and I’m going to love riding for Buccaneers again.

“I was captain of the side before my crash at Newport and it’s great to be back.

“The more meetings I can get the better because I’ve only had four this year, including the one at Weymouth. Now I want to finish the season off on a high and help Bournemouth try and lift the title again.

“It also gives me time to try and get a team spot for 2011, put my face in the shop window.”

Earlier this week, Herne had been announced as a new signing for second-tier Rye House.

But that move has been blocked because the deadline for Premier League sides to change line-ups has gone.

Herne said: “When I came back in March my knee wasn’t 100 per cent after I’d crashed in Australia in February.

“Everything’s fine now though. My foot and back are okay.

“My back aches a little the day after I ride, but that’s nothing to worry about after spending so long out.

“I’ll get tired arms and legs but I’m sure the more meetings I do the fitter I’ll get.

“It’ll be harder for us to win the play-offs this year than last, although we’re going to give it our best shot.

“We’ve got Newport and they’ve got a very strong team, including Kyle Newman, who rides Poole’s track well.”

Pirates head for Ipswich tonight (7.30pm) with a full strength side for their final regulation Elite League match.

Poole Castle Cover triumphed 46-44 at Foxhall in April and will be aiming to make it four wins out of four over bottom-of-the-table Witches this term.

Ipswich are without Robert Miskowiak, Dawid Stachyra (both on Polish Golden Helmet duty) and injured Chris Slabon, so bring in guest Ryan Fisher, number eight Richie Hawkins and use rider replacement.

Davey Watt’s dead heat for first place with Fredrik Lindgren in Pirates’ 44½-44½ play-off draw at Wolves on Monday was the first occasion a Poole rider had been involved in a dead heat for over seven years.

The previous one was Bjarne Pedersen tying for third place with Craig Watson during the Dorset side’s 47½-42½ triumph at Newport in the British League Cup on June 1, 2003.

Ipswich: Nicholls, Fisher, King, A Dryml, R/r for Slabon, Hawkins, K Smith.

Pirates: Holder, Ward, Pedersen, Mroczka, Watt, Madsen, Doyle.