Under 12's Match report

Perhaps it was the sun, too many Easter eggs or Tyldesley’s tackling but for once the lads didn’t manage to cross the whitewash. However, the performance was still pretty promising with lots of good points to build on and some problems highlighted that we can work on in training. So as a warm up for next Sunday’s tournament after a few weeks lay off it was a worthwhile exercise.

As usual just recently we had a player making his debut and Alex Ratcliffe played a blinder and was a real contender for the Man of the Match award. It was really nice to see him in a Bolton shirt after his performances in the Champions Challenge tournament for Bolton Schools Year 7 earlier in the year. We should also have had a second debutant but unfortunately James Hind was injured playing that rough football game the day before but hopefully he will be fit again shortly and we wish him well.

Tyldesley started the game on the front foot and scored within the first minute, however, the lads soon got their game back together and started to hold their own, especially in the loose. Unfortunately, the scrums once again proved a stumbling block and again the team was starved of possession. However, the lads were tigerish in the ruck and maul and managed to turn over the strong and powerful home forwards regularly. Both sides moved the ball about with confidence and Josh Holmes, Firth Lord and Danny Turner all made good ground whilst both Alex and Joey Gore made telling breaks on the flanks. By half time the home side had pulled out a 21-0 lead but Bolton were by no means disgraced.

In the second half we shuffled the pack a little and it was good to see the forwards making ground. Both Wills Brindle and Tom Hill looked dangerous from set plays and Jacob Muyaya managed to get his “mits” on the ball and make an impression. Also, Faraaz Mohammed and Jordan Ashton’s unsung graft started to pay off as the boys stood toe to toe with the home outfit. Josh tackled like a man possessed and despite some good work by Firth, Alex, Tom and Joey made the Top Tackler trophy his own. Joe Hill came perhaps the closest to scoring after chasing Josh’s kick the full length of the field only to be denied just at the last. Also, in the backs Mat King put in a solid performance on the wing which was unfortunately cut short due to injury just as he was really starting to come into the game.

The Man of the Match award could have gone to Joey for holding a Tyldesley player up over the line on three separate occasions, however, for his all round display and for his tenacity and ability to rip the ball from anyone wearing a blue shirt the award went to Faraaz for possibly his best performance yet.

After the game we all made a quick getaway and raced back to the club for the Junior Presentation and to celebrate an exciting and fulfilling season for the Under 12s. With each game the team seems to have steadily improved and it has been wonderful to see the tackling go from just about zero to “anything that moves”. Also, we have started to score many more points and we have joint leaders on the try scoring chart with just the tournament to play; both Josh and Danny have registered 9. All round it has been an excellent season and I think that the thing that has impressed me the most if the growing confidence of the boys and the total unity of the squad.