Encouraging start for Bolton

...Managers of the top football clubs always need a couple more players, at immense cost, to complete their squads for the season ahead. No mention is made of the fact that there are already several dozen highly paid players at each club who, just perhaps, the managers could coach to be a bit better.

It is always with trepidation that amateur coaches await their players turning up for training in the new season; has their star player decided to spend more weekends with his girlfriend or have a couple of the more senior players decided they would like to be able to walk rather than hobble on a Sunday morning. There is no transfer market to dip into so the clubs have to make do with what’s left or what their junior section (if it exists) has developed for them.

So it is a relief to report that Bolton RUFC’s relegation last season seems to have only strengthened the resolve of the players to get themselves fitter than ever and get back to the level they so much enjoyed playing at last season, and that the junior section is indeed developing some excellent young players.

Old Crossleyans from Halifax provided the opposition for the warm-up game at the Theatre of Trees on Saturday. They had a similar season to Bolton last time out, but retirements and local competition for players have left them in a more difficult position than their hosts and this showed as the afternoon wore on.

The match was divided into 4 quarters of 20 minutes each with wholesale changes made at each break, so the 9 tries scored by Bolton were testament to the speed with which the players adjusted to these changes in personnel. All players contributed well to a good performance in all areas, but special mention must go to the youngsters making their way in senior rugby. Matt Boyers and Jack Robinson scored good individual tries and Louis Townsend, Kieron Shacklock and Ryan McCluskey all featured prominently. Newcomers Niall Murphy and Ollie Ware were prominent throughout and Will Bate, who went all last season without scoring a try, suddenly remembered how and scored 3 with further touchdowns from Chris Cockton, Mike Mills, Mark Doherty and Dave Bruen.

There is still a lot of hard work to be done, but the game has shown to the players and coaching staff that they are heading in the right direction.

Author: Nick Holmes