16s get reward for hard work

After a real team performance last Sunday against local rivals (and coach’s old team) Leigh the question in the Under 16s coaches and parents’ mind was could they back up the week after against a team who headed the division above us. The answer was emphatically yes.
With teenagers’ testosterone scattered like confetti all over the Theatre of Trees it was a full blooded encounter with neither side taking a step in any direction other than forwards.
Despite having 22 players to pick from including two lost Under 15s (thanks lads for turning out for us) the coaches decided to reward the 15 hardy souls who had played last week with starting berths this Sunday. The only change being the absence of Mikey Latham at Inside Centre due to him failing a late fitness test. This resulted in a quick shuffle in the backs with Josh Holmes moving out one to 12 and Harry Stocks starting at Stand Off.
Aldwinians opened the scoring with a well worked try and things looked bleak but the Bolton lads rose to the challenge and poacher extreme David Warren showed that he is deadly from about 15cm to round off a crashing run from Tom Hill from a 5m scrum. By the time the lads meet up again on Wednesday for training David’s try will have become a 90m sprint where he beats half the visiting side!
Tom added the extras from his preferred kicking position right on the touchline; 7-5.
The Bolton side really seized the initiative and with wholesale changes made to give all 22 players a run the lads piled on the pressure.
Will McCambridge and Jordan Ashton were pretty much dominant in the lineouts while the scrums were more even with the big visiting pack getting the nudge on the Bolton 8 on occasions.
The tussle around the set piece was hard with both 9s going hammer and tongs and neither having much time on the ball. Despite the pressure Joey Gore kept the ball moving and with Harry Stocks pulling the strings at 10 Bolton turned the screws up another notch.
In mid field Josh Holmes was revelling in a little more space than usual while centre partners Connor Orrell and Firth Lord took turns tormenting their opposite numbers and keeping the hard running 12 at arms length.
After excellent work from all the team Adam Kazmi rounded off a great move to score in the corner and Tom Hill made the half time score 14-5 with another precision kick from almost on the whitewash.
In the second period Bolton were on fire and Adam Kazmi scored again 5 minutes in after excellent work made him a meter of space which he exploited to the full. Tom Hill couldn’t repeat the miracle kicks of the first period so the score remained 19-5.
With Matty Ashton back in the fray after a “soprano making” moment in the first period and Joseph Partington getting the upper hand in the tight the Bolton Blacks kept their visitors penned deep in their own half with surging Ryan McClusky runs, Will McCambridge blockbusters and the dancing feet of Josh Holmes just a few of their tormentors.
Jacob Walker and Jake Lever were also very much to the fore in this period of the game with Jacob a rock on which the Alwdinians tide burst on several occasions. Jake’s confidence was growing by the minute and after spending the first half scything down anything in a red and white shirt he decided to go on the offensive in the second half with a couple of great runs and a period where he always seemed to be there in support. A nice little one two with another find of the season George Weston made 30 meters in the blink of an eye.
Out wide Levi Walsh didn’t get too much opportunity to show his paces but nothing got round him all day and when the ball reached him he ran hard and straight and took some knocking down. Yousef Sharif also played a great supporting role on the other flank with nice cover and was always in the right place to support and backup Adam Kazmi’s driving runs from Full Back. With David Warren back in his usual role of wing, his poaching chances were limited and but he made some hard yards when needed and forced his old sparring partner, the Aldwinians 9, out wide and away from support when it looked like the visitors would get themselves back into the game with a rare foray into the Bolton 22m.
Firth Lord rounded off the Bolton scoring when wave after wave of home attacks dissipated the visitors’ cover and having dragged their defence from side to side Firth was left with an easy jog to the line for a well deserved score: 24-5.
Ryan McClusky looked for all the world that he was off to the races when he burst through three or fours tackles only for a despairing ankle tap by the Aldwinians full back to send him cart-wheeling. Despite him being on his own 22m line had he been able to regain his feet no one was stopping him.
Harry Kay also got into the act with a couple of direct bursts which we hope will soon become his trademark; another of the new arrivals this season who are really making their mark on the team-so much so it feels like they’ve been around for years.
It was to Aldwinians credit that they never let their heads down and played the best rugby of the final 10 minutes when they put Bolton under extreme pressure. The visiting half backs completed the scoring with the 9 crashing over for a score improved (just) by Captain Alex who we really must invite back to repaint the top of the crossbar; his kick sure removed at least one coat of paint as skimmed over.
A very competitive game where Adam Kazmi, Ryan McClusky and Jake Lever shone for Bolton and rightly received the parents’, players’ and coaches’ awards respectively. All 22 players gave 100% and played an excellent all round game with Connor Orrell, Josh Holmes, Will McCambridge and Harry Stocks deserving of individual mentions.

I think today’s performance just eclipsed last weeks so well done to one and all. Thanks for the concentration and hard work at training over the last couple of weeks; keep up the brilliant work, superb attitude and never say die team spirit that has been the real feature of the past 2 weeks. Long may it continue!

Needless to say huge crowd of parents, families, friends, WAGs, injured players etc etc were tremendously impressed and with the coaches would like to say just how proud we are of you all. Well done – you deserve it.