Bolton Pip Eccles to the Post in an Entertaining Game

Further to back to back losses against Leigh and Fylde consecutively, Bolton 2nd XV returned to home turf facing off against their close rivals Eccles 2nd XV.

With a strong pack boosted by the return of the veterans Steve Knibb and the evergreen Mark Turner to the engine room of the second row, Bolton looked to assert their forward power in the early exchanges of the game however this was to prove difficult as Eccles provided stern resistance to the Bolton effort.

Early runs from Rhys Pritchard and the raging white orc Martin Plimmer resulted in good yardage being gained however poor final decisions led to a lack of finishing amongst the Bolton players. Some of the lack of confidence which was evident in the lack lustre finishing the week before at Leigh was again in evidence and Bolton only had a solitary penalty from the boot of the younger Turner to show for their efforts.

Good line out work from the youngsters Jo Smith and Lewis Pritchard provided disruption on the Eccles throw in whilst retaining virtually all of their own ball, providing a solid platform from which to build during a tense first half. However this was countered by some more than solid defensive tackles from the Eccles defence with both Vickers and Caswell being denied by some fantastic cover defence. An injury to the Eccles centre bought on a determined beast of a player who proceeded to try and knock the Bolton players into next weeks free Saturday, but text book two man tackling soon slowed his animal intensity and Bolton withered an Eccles attempt to draw level by half time, as turner calmly slotted the ball into touch to signal the end of the first half.

A stirring team talk took Bolton into the second half however it was to prove to no avail as Bolton immediately dropped the ball from the kick off gifting Eccles the advantage. Once again Bolton’s defence was asked questions, only to find a reply in the scrum set pieces by dominating their Eccles counterparts and consistently turning over ball after ball in the tight. In fact the scrum was to prove so dominant that Eccles, even with seven replacements on their bench, opted to go to uncontested scrums later in the game following an injury sustained to one of their front three.

Bolton’s discipline was again to prove their undoing and the Eccles fly half calmly slotted over a further three points for an infringement incurred at the break down. Bolton headed back the restart with the despairing thought that yet another game was going to slip from their grasp as had happened in the previous week’s defeat. However from someplace deep within the boys from Bolton opted to become men for the last fifteen minutes. Spurred on by a huge defensive tackle from former captain Matthew Parrish which resulted in a prolonged stoppage to the game due to the perceived injury to the Eccles player, the Bolton pack began to exert their dominance which had been lacking since the removal of contested scrums.

As they roamed the field hunting in threes and fours they began to steal ball and territory from Eccles resulting in a penalty being awarded just inside the Eccles half. A quick tap penalty saw O Donohue creating a gap for himself before off loading with timed precision to the supporting Critchlow who bullocked his way past the Eccles players before recycling the ball at speed. Terry rapidly flipped the ball to veteran Steve Knibb who in turn offloaded again to allow Martin Plimmer to cross the line. Turner converted with the accuracy of a professional fly half to leave the score 10-6 to Bolton with minutes to play. It was now Eccles turn to look to themselves to provide inspiration from the restart, however it was Bolton who now looked the stronger side.

After a good restart from Bolton where they looked to have weathered another onslaught from a desperate Eccles side, a freak misunderstanding between Turner and O Donohue led to Parrish being presented with the ball to kick for touch. With his new starting position at blind side Parrish proceeded to show a display of astute kicking prowess last seen gracing the Bolton pitch in the long gone days of past greats such as Nick Holmes and Dave Mann.

Having quickly deduced that if the ball was to go out on the full Eccles would have good field position from which to launch a final all out attack on the Bolton line and realising that his fifteen warriors were dying on their feet Parrish drilled the ball into the ground and targeted the new Eccles winger with a precise grubber. Although the player fielded the ball he was hit with the consummate force of a determined Bolton line before the ball was turned over... Some (including Parrish!!) will say that the kick worked out better and differently than planned, however sometimes lady luck is just on your side!

As the ball drifted out wide the Bolton backs made the most of the loose defence of the Eccles backs, and gained invaluable yards. With the Bolton players looking to secure field position for the win all players on the pitch were awaiting a deft chip to the corner to peg back the Eccles team. That was not to be the intention of the swash buckling Bolton nine, Robert Terry.

With the razor like mind of a true nine he realised that the Eccles full back had taken leave of his senses and taken the opportunity to disappear for a crafty smoke behind the posts obviously believing the game to be close to being over. Seconds later a box kick from the irrepressible Terry was airbourne with cries of horror from his own team who had visions of an Eccles playing running the length of the pitch to win the game. However no one had given thought to the talents of Robert Terry, like a squirrel taking his first hit of red bull his little legs moved across the mud with speed which belied their size outstripping the Eccles players attempting to cover the kick. Next came football skills not seen on Bolton grass since the likes of Nat Lofthouse and Frank Worthington and with a slide of ecstasy Terry cross the line for the match winning try. Moments after the restart the game was over and Bolton had taken the spoils in a battle royale between the two local rivals in what was one of the better games of a lack lustre season for the 2nd XV.

On another note Bolton fielded a team including a number of colts from both this season’s Junior Colts and generations past. Rhys Pritchard has enjoyed an encouraging start to his Senior career whilst at the tender age of only seventeen and he was joined by his team mate Adam Greenwood at Leigh last week whilst Stuart Evans has shown his talent by being picked on the wing for the 1st XV, all three players having been continually coached by Steven Knibb during the last six years. Further testimony to the clubs continual testament to a healthy youth policy is evident in the integration of a number of Senior Colts into the second XV with Ian Fox, Jo Smith and Lewis Pritchard all emerging as contenders for the young player of the year award with their enthusiastic start to their Senior careers whilst returning students and former colts Manny Tailor and Marcus O Donohue illustrate the loyalty of players to the club. All of Bolton’s junior teams train on a Sunday morning from 9am and all players, whether novice or experienced are welcome from ages 8 upwards.