U14s and Eccles serve up a treat.

On a lovely though windy autumnal day Bolton Under 14’s entertained close rivals Eccles in the Blacksticks Blue League. Both teams fielded a full squad and it was brilliant to see 44 young lads giving everything and showing an enthralled crowd just how junior rugby should be played.
No quarter was asked or given and occasionally players got a little “over enthusiastic” but never maliciously so and all of which was overseen with a light hand and a ready wit by a referee who allowed the lads to play.

Eccles started off on top and really tested out the defensive skills and patterns that the Bolton lads had been working on in recent weeks in training. All the coaches were very pleased to see how much the lads had improved and just how determined that our visitors would not score. Even on the occasion when the Eccles forwards drove over the home line there was a red shirt holding them up and preventing the score. All he lads deserve huge credit for this but the two Wills McCambridge and Brindle were immense.
As the Eccles tide broke on the Bolton defence the one red and one white socked home side grew in confidence and started to come into the game. Jacob Muyaya gave everything in the first ten minutes and sadly had to leave the field with a damaged ankle but he should feel very proud of a superb shift at the front row coal face. His colleagues Tom McCormick and Jordan Ashton had also worked themselves into the mud but such is the depth of talent and the size of the Under 14 squad it was possible to let them all have a rest and allow Joseph Partington, Elliott Morgan and Declan Smith build on the foundations of their teammates.
With the half back axis of Joey Gore and Josh Holmes working well together the Bolton lads started to distribute more and more ball and it was great to see centres Danny Turner and Michael Latham combining well time after time to make metres down the field and especially to put their bodies on the line to recycle the ball back for the next phase.
In the “boiler house” Chris Kehoe and Wills McCambridge kept the fires well and truly stoked and the partnership was both destructive in defence and extremely dangerous going forward. In fact Wills made bust after bust with mate Chris on his shoulder or having fed him into space in the first instance.
With Wills Brindle starting to get the taste for pick and goes at the base of the scrum the Eccles defenders were kept on their toes not knowing where the next attack would come from and without doubt the second quarter belonged to the home side. It was very fitting that after excellent work from the backs and back row Wills Brindle seized the opportunity to crash over next to the posts. Elliott Morgan stepped up and calmly added on the extras to give Bolton a 7-0 lead.
Morgan Tobias replaced the hard running and strong tackling Adam Kazmi on the wing and certainly picked up Adam’s mantle by taking the game to Eccles at every opportunity. In midfield James Hind stepped up from full back to give Michael a breather at centre whilst David Warren took over at 15 with aplomb. Despite Josh Holmes’ concern that the coach had disrupted all the midfield’s sweet moves with the changes the lads continued in similar vein to the half time whistle and were unlucky not to extend their lead. In the run up to half time Tom Hill entered the fray for the first time this season after a serious knee problem and it was just brilliant to see him back on the field where he belongs.

As expected Eccles roared back at the start of the second period and for the first 5 to 10 minutes seemed to have taken up almost permanent residence on the Bolton line. When Bolton did break out the visitors used the wind well to pin the lads back. This was a real testing period for Bolton’s team and they stood up to it well. Chris Kehoe picked up a nasty knock to the back and had to leave the field after 10 minutes and perhaps this disruption was the chink in the home armour that Eccles were looking for as they scored two tries in quick succession whilst Bolton reorganised; 7-12.

Bolton again raised their game encouraged by Tom Hill back at Number 8, Joey Gore snuffing out any movement around the base of the Eccles scrum. Joey’s passing was also always on the money giving Josh Holmes’ and Danny Turner’s the wherewithal to make some dangerous and probing runs. Max Lohan and Firth Lord also found some extra resources of energy as slowly but surely the tide of the game changed once more and Bolton began to get on top once again.

Ryan McClusky was revelling in the amount of good ball that was being shipped to his wing and the Eccles defenders must have been getting sick of the site of him tearing at or through them time after time. However, Eccles defunded stoutly and despite many a powerful run by Max Lohan, Wills Brindle and Michael Latham they kept their line intact despite Wills McCambridge getting within an hair’s breadth.

As time was running out Levi Walsh, stole onto the left wing for his first over game of 15-a-side rugby and his first act was to show his natural tackling excellence by saving a sure Eccles try with two well timed interventions when for once Bolton’s tackling had let them down. Levi’s intervention proved a real turning point as with the Bolton and Eccles coaches both asking each other how much could be left on the referee’s watch the Bolton lads swept the ball from left to right where good hands put Ryan McClusky into a couple of yards of space down the flank. Making 10m in the blink of an eye he rounded the immediate cover and then swatting away would be tacklers like just so many annoying flies he raced the remaining 40m to touch down and level the scores to the delight of the home crowd.

Eccles must have been distraught, but, to their eternal credit they picked themselves up and dusted themselves down and raced from under the post in a blue and white swarm to charge down the attempted conversion and ensure the game ended in a fair draw; a creditable result for both sides.

We did have a moment of farce when their excitement got the better of them and perhaps forgetting the kick was a conversion and not a penalty and with the encouragement of one or two Eccles parents the visitors attempted to run the charged down kick ball back at the home side. For a moment both coaches and referee were non-plussed and despite Bolton stealing a loose ball and crossing the line themselves once more order was restored and both sets of players were informed that the game had indeed finished at 12 all and the final Bolton ”score” did not count. Ryan McClusky can perhaps be the only player to score two tries with the last touch of the ball; even though only one counted.
No doubt this tale will be retold time and time again over the coming seasons each time Bolton and Eccles meet and will get funnier and dafter at each telling. But the important thing is that the right thing was done and everyone could leave with just a wry smile on their faces.

It was lovely to welcome many of the Eccles lads and parents into the club afterwards for a pie and beverage and to discuss an excellent game which everyone thoroughly enjoyed and ended with a laugh a smile and the best of possible results.

For the Bolton guys all from number 1 to 23 played superbly and the coaches were so impressed at the way the lads have all worked together to come on from rock bottom just a few short weeks ago and turn their rugby around in such a short space of time. It is always a pleasure to work with such a brilliant set of players, parents and coaches and it was a delight to see them get their rewards for all their recent efforts.
Maybe it was the excitement of being ball boys on the previous Friday for Sale Sharks, or the watching of their heroes play at such close quarters or maybe just the desire not to throw away the game like Sale had unfortunately down that gave all the lads the spark today. Whatever the reason they should feel very proud of themselves as it has been their efforts and desires that have produced this change in fortune and they richly deserve it.

As there were unfortunately lots of non-rugby things to sort out after the game no man of the match awards were presented. However, we will take votes from parents and players and give out the trophies at training on Wednesday. I should really run through everyone from the squad and write how well each and everyone played but if so I’d be here for ever so can I just take the opportunity to mention two players making their first appearances for Bolton this season. Tom Hill has played for Bolton for several years and last season represented Manchester District but over the summer had a bad injury and it was brilliant to see him back running on the field this morning as he brings so such to the side in addition to his rugby ability. The last word goes to Levi Walsh who only played for 5 minutes to get a feel of rugby for the first time ever on a full sized pitch and looked like a natural and my abiding memory of so many good things from this morning is his first ever tackle and the smile on his face as the game ended.