u18s score 39 unanswered points vs Oldham

Just 35 days after their last game Bolton RUFC Under 18s finally got the opportunity to lace back up their boots and renew matches in the Senior Colts league against long term opponents and good friends in Oldham. It would be lovely to say the sun was shining and the pitch was firm but it after the last 5 weeks of wet and then freezing weather this wasn’t the case and it was in very heavy and muddy conditions that the game got underway. In racing terms the going was soft, very soft and to make matters interesting it was damp and dank and after just a couple of minutes the ball was an extension of the pitch. This was proper rugby in old fashioned conditions.
Bolton welcomed back Chris Brownlow after an injury lay off but had to do a bit of a reshuffle in the backs with Adam Kazmi unavailable. So captain Josh Holmes moved to full back with Chris taking Josh’s normal slot at outside centre and Ryan McClusky found himself on the right wing with James Sykes held up in traffic.
The Bolton reds started the stronger and Joel Thompson’s powerful drive from the kick off set the tone for the day. It was going to be the forwards who set the platform and it was obvious from Joel’s initial possession that the Bolton pack had the bit between their teeth and were up for the contest.
George Weston followed Joel’s example with several drives that ate up the ground and his second row partner George Carbery was there with him making the hard yards and tying in the Oldham defence. Within the first two minutes Joe Speakman, Josh Holmes and Ryan McClusky used the space their forwards had bought to great effect and a sweet interchange of passes saw Joe scoring under the posts and Chris Brownlow improving his try to make the score 0-7.
The right wing was proving a very fruitful avenue for the Bolton backs and Ryan McClusky should’ve improved the score just a few moments later but the old adage of “there’s many a slip between cup and lip” was true but in this case it was between ball, hands and ground but we’ll quickly move on. Ryan’s Granddad Jim’s wallet was pleased but no-one else!
Chris Brownlow celebrated his return after a long layoff with his first try after 12 minutes and Ryan got himself on the score sheet just before the 20th; the conditions for kicking were getting worse and worse and Chris couldn’t improve the score, however, he did hit the upright on one attempt.
Joe Partington had to leave the field after an early knock and Charlie Aylett was showing his versatility playing out of position at inside centre. However, this meant that Harry Kay could enter the fray and make a formidable front row with Jacob Walker and Joel Thompson. Jacob was himself returning after an even longer absence, however, he soon got back into the swing of things as he and his fellow forwards put their opponents under constant pressure. In the scrums Bolton were rock solid and in the lineouts secured their own ball ably with George Weston finding Jordan Ashton metronome like and the whole pack stealing a good number of the home side’s throws too.
Harry Kay announced his arrival in the game with style as he stopped his opposite number‘s run stone dead. It was a “battle of the giants” moment and Harry put down his marker in no uncertain terms.
Harry Stocks had the final say in a well contested first half as he dived over the line from a 5m penalty to record his first try of the season. A great weekend for Harry as he had made his full debut for the first XV the previous day. The move that resulted in the penalty was again down the Bolton right. A good move between all the backs resulted in Joey Gore popping up on the opposite wing. As he looked to finish off the move he was tackled high and though he did stretch over the line the referee was unsighted and didn’t award the score. However, Harry seized on a moments confusion in home ranks to make the half time score 0v22 to Bolton.
Oldham’s coach must have made an inspirational half time team talk as his side came out all guns blazing to start the second period and with conditions getting trickier by the minute their strong tackling nullified the Bolton attacks. Bolton needed a little inspiration and it came from Connor Orrell and Mason Lockley. With players tiring in the heavy conditions Connor seemed to get stronger and stronger and he made at least 4 or 5 powerful runs almost back to back to lift his team mates. Mason, another who had made his 1st XV debut the previous day also got strong and he and Connor brought the Bolton team back up to the levels of the first half. Ryan McClusky and Charlie Aylett both now back in their accustomed roles added their shoulders to the wheel and the Bolton juggernaut was back up to full steam. James Sykes had also entered the game for the second half and he put in a good shift on the right wing and could’ve had a try his performance warranted had the last pass gone to hand on more than one occasion.
Chris Brownlow got the score board ticking once again for Bolton with a second well taken try and Charlie Aylett rounded off yet another fine run through the heart of the Oldham defence scoring under the posts to make Chris’ final conversion a simpler one.
After an hour’s hard graft Joel and Jacob left the match to a round of applause and Harry Kay and George Carbery had the opportunity to finish off the game. Both very nearly got over the whitewash as Bolton camped on the Oldham line and George Weston also came close, however, it was perhaps fitting that Chris rounded of the game by completing his hat trick as he dove over from to round of another piece of excellent forwards play.
All 17 Bolton players can be proud of their contributions today in difficult circumstances. The heavy ground and the ball being more like a pudding made handling difficult and the game a tough one on the legs especially seeing as most players hadn’t played in 5 weeks and some even longer. Bolton’s fitness showed and they definitely adapted their play to the conditions well and were deserved winners. However, the home side never gave up and can take great heart from the match.
As a team Bolton defended very well and it was great to see everyone working together for the cause and working so hard for each other. The Bolton backs did well and their handling was impressive in the circumstances. Joes Speakman and Partington and Chris Brownlow were strong and inventive in the centre and well supplied with quality ball by Harry Stocks who was outstanding at Scrum Half. The back three of Josh Holmes, James Sykes and Joey Gore worked well together and always looked untroubled. However, it was up front that Bolton shined. Harry Kay, Joel Thompson and Jacob Walker were like three colossi, George Carbery and Mason Lockley were immense and Ryan McClusky, Charlie Aylett and Jordan Ashton definitely won the battle of the “break aways” which is often where the game is won and lost. Special mentions go to Chris and Harry Kay for influencing the game in their own ways but the plaudits must be shared by George Weston and Connor Orrell who made the game their own and were simply brilliant throughout.