Fifteen From Fifteen

Bolton travelled to Trafford on Saturday for their last league game of the season. It was a sunny, hot afternoon and it was great to see a rugby match taking place alongside a cricket match.
Bolton started the game effectively. Within five minutes Niall Murphy scored a great try from an off-load by Mark Chapplehow. Trafford, in the seventh minute, kicked a long-range penalty which brought them back into the game. Bolton, in the tenth minute, drove a line-out and Will Bates made a lovely break to score. Joe Speakman added the conversion. In the twenty-first minute Will Bate took a quick tap penalty and scampered over for his second try. Trafford came back with a try and conversion in the twenty-fourth minute. Jack Robinson scored a very easy try in the thirty-fourth minute, after some great work by the forwards. In the thirty-eighth minute Will Bate scored an excellent individual try when he avoided three players trying to Tackle him. Joe Speakman added the conversion. Just before the half-time whistle Trafford scored a relatively easy try.
Half time score: Trafford 15 Bolton 29
The second half started well again for Bolton with Ryan McClusky scoring after a good break by Joe Speakman. Joe pulled up with a hamstring injury and Jonnie Stansfield came on as replacement. Will Bate took over kicking duties and he landed a penalty in the forty-fourth minute. Again, Trafford came back into the game and scored a try in the forty-sixth minute. Will Bate scored his fourth try from a tap penalty, an outrageous dummy to cross the line and he added the conversion. Bolton’s defence was not at its best during this part of the match which allowed Trafford to score two more tries and conversions in a short space of time. In the seventy-third minute Chris Cockton scored and Will Bate added the conversion. The final score of the game went to Trafford.
Final score: Trafford 41 Bolton 53
Bolton succeeded in winning fifteen games in a row without defeat. This is an outstanding achievement and the players should be very proud (we think this is a club record). However, Bolton were not at their best in this game and did just enough to secure the win. All credit to Trafford, they stuck at it and scored some good tries. The Man of the Match was Will Bate for the second week running! He scored four tries, three conversions and one penalty.