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Results for Season 2007/08 Division 3N
Pos'n 6/14 Played 26 W 14 D 1 L 11 F 410 A 312 Points 69
26th April 2008
Bolton 2nd 5 Vale of Lune 8
A disappointing result for the last game of the season saw Bolton 2nds finish 6th in their league.
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19th April 2008
Bolton 2nd XV 30 Ruskin Park 0
Bolton hosted Ruskin Park on Saturday at Avenue Street. With the visitors getting stuck in traffic around Wigan kick off was delayed for 15 minutes and the lack of preparation clearly hampered Ruskin Park. Bolton started the game as they meant to continue by dominating the early possession and this was continued for the majority of the game. Bolton's forwards, who have been outstanding all season, grafted hard. The quality possession and hard yards earned made space all around the park which the backs were able to exploit. The final score was 30-0 with the referee managing to keep a lid on Ruskin Park's frustrations. Mentions must go to; Cooper who scored a brace and spurned his chance at a hatrick when he had the ball stripped from him in a 4 man tackle when he was over the line. Despite his herculean effort he will still be fined for "jug avoidance"! Broxton who kindly played the last 35 minutes for Ruskin Park to ensure contested scrums could continue after one of their pack went off with a suspected concussion. But most important of all was Bolton's Man of The Match, Paul Tonge, who came down to watch his team mates during his recovery in his battle against cancer.
Bolton have their final game of the season on the 26th April at Avenue Street against Vale of Lune. A win for Bolton and a Sedgley Park loss against 2nd place Ormskirk will see Bolton finish 4th in the league. Regardless of the result a traditional rugby soiree will be held in the evening.
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12th April 2008
Southport 0 Bolton 2nd 52
The 2nd XV travelled away to Southport and put the final nail in their coffin. Bolton's 52 - 0 win condemned the Southport team to relegation.
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29th March 2008
BAe Warton 0 Bolton 2nd Xv 10
Bolton went away to BAe Warton with horrible weather for both teams to contend with. The strong wind was blowing straight down the pitch and the heavy squaly rain made handling difficult and was starting to affect even Wartons normally excellent pitch. Hardman was skipper for the day with Metcalfe working nights, good job really considering he got stuck in the traffic round the Reebok and was 15 minutes late for kick off! (Jug fine!) Bolton played with the wind at their backs in the first half and the conditions made it impossible for Warton to break out of their 22 for most of it, let alone get into Bolton's half. Despite this the Warton pack scrapped hard and disrupted Bolton at the rucks, though often not legally. With the conditions making handling difficult their were many mistakes but from a catch and drive at a lineout 15 metre's out Bolton's pack drove over the line for Brogan, who was excellent as usual, to score. 0-5
At half time Metcalfe replaced the injured Dean at outside Centre and it was Boltons turn to face the biting wind and lashing rain. Warton played with the conditions and continually pegged Bolton into their 22 but the exuberance and confidence the visitors were showing meant they were able to drive the ball out of trouble and force the Warton players into mistakes with robust defence. It was from a stolen opposition lineout that Cooper drove through three tackles to break free then after two more Warton players failed to bring him down he finally ran out of options and was tackled centre field, near the halfway. The Bolton pack swarmed over Cooper to recylce the ball but Warton scrambled back magnificantly and re-aligned their defence. The ball was crashed right by Sugden and was recycled again by the dynamic Bolton pack. This tied in the tiring defenders and made 5 more metres. Davenport at 9 found Turner at 10, who passed to Metcalfe. He missed a player out and Hardman came onto a flat pass at pace. He drew his man and passed to Knibb who was "covering on the wing". Despite showing a burst of pace it was clear that the dynamic, evergreen Knibb wouldn't make the line 20 metres away with defenders scrambling back. He arced his run infield, making space and drawing two tacklers two him then popped the ball back to Hardman who had looped round. With 10 metre's to go even a big prop/hooker finds a burst of pace and the Warton back who tried to bring him down 2 metre's short was trying in vain! A truly great try with the whole team involved, which was even more impressive with the horrible weather. 0-10. Despite losing Hill to his recurring knee injury and being down to 14 men for the last ten minutes the result was never in doubt and when the referee blew for time Hardman leapt for joy a-la Flash Gordon when he saves the Earth!
Even the broken boiler and cold showers couldn't dampen Bolton's spirit and the now traditional songs in the showers were as loud as ever.
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22nd March 2008
Burnley 3 Bolton 2nd XV 7
Bolton's second team finally returned to winning ways and scraped in for a hard fought away win at Burnley.
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15th March 2008
Bolton 2nd XV 22 Leigh 0
A somewhat changed team due to a fourth team cry off and late arrivals took the field against a veteran Leigh 5th Team. Although Leigh sit higher in the table than Bolton and Bolton were suffering from a lack of confidence after recent defeats, it soon became evident that the home team had more than enough in their arsenal to defeat the traditional forward orientated game of the visitors. Leigh stated their intentions immediately with a 10 man game dominated by their rather large number 10. Although this was to be the same theme to the game Bolton at least attempted to set their backs free via veteran Andy Leigh and Chris Turner at half backs. Unfortunately a number of good attacks simply fell to pieces with weak handling and poor running angles being the major problems. A tactical substitution was made in an attempt to make some indent in the Leigh back line however it was to be of no avail as at thirty minutes the score remained at a dour nil apiece. A scintillating run by returning student James Singleton led to nothing whilst further attempts to breach the Leigh rearguard remained successful. Great work by the Bolton pack, in particular Crow, Henderson and Knibb was consistently wasted however it was from the recovery of the ball in broken play which would create the gap for Pete Brogan to cross for the first of his brace of the day. Ably converted by Turner, Bolton returned to receive the kick off only to attack once again, marching up the pitch to allow Brogan to ease over the line for his second.
The Leigh pack attempted to rally at half time however further pressure from the scrum on the five after a good hassle on the opposing scrum half by Leigh saw Ash Cooper able to crash over in the corner to give some credit to the scoreline. A final quarter move from Turner and Singleton provided one of the few moments of delight for the crowd in what was otherwise a dour performance from a team that promised so much more on the day. All the possession but lack of penetration means Bolton will have to try harder next week to secure a better winning margin to ensure that they end the season with more wins than losses.
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8th March 2008
Bolton 2nd 0 Sedgley Park 17
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1st March 2008
Fylde 43 Bolton 2nd 3
Bolton visited top of the table Fylde on Saturday. with the game being played in very windy conditons on an excellent pitch of the Public School not far from Fylde's home ground.
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Bolton kicked off with Fylde having elected to play into the wind in the first half. From the off it was clear that Fylde's game plan was to maul the ball up the pitch. This was done very successfully a number of times with Fylde's well drilled pack driving the ball 10, 20 and sometimes 30 metres each time. However, Bolton have one of the best defensive records in the league. With stern tackling and stern words from their Captain to have one man tackle the maul before it got started Bolton fronted up and continually blunted the Fylde efforts. Hardman was a real thorn in his opponents side all game and set the example a pack leader should by singlehanded destroying two consecutive mauls. The best example of the way Bolton defend as a team was when the full back Vickers tackled 5 of the Fylde players 2 metres from the line as they tried to develop another maul. Several times, both during and after the match, he told his team mates of this selfless act, how much it hurt and how much he shan't be doing anything like that again! After about 25 minutes the dam finally burst and Bolton eventually conceded a try, needless to say it followed a number of mauls after a lineout on the Bolton 22!.............. 5-0 Bolton played using the wind to their advantage with Turner putting in some massive clearances. With a real dog attitude the entire Bolton team continually put their opponents down in the tackle and were able to turn over ball a number of times before the ruck got started. The referee, David Thompson, had a good game in that he was fair, consistent and allowed players on their feet at the tackle before the ruck began to make a play for the ball. This has been a rare feature in the referee's this season and allowed both teams to play and compete. The fairness of both teams, in that neither side continually tried to kill opponents ball, in no doubt made his job easier but his performance was excellent. It was from just such a moment when Mr Thompson penalised a Fylde player for not releasing that Turner kicked superbly to get Bolton on the scoresheet towards the end of the half................... 5-3
Now facing into the wind Bolton knew the task would be harder but rather than shrink from it the players seemed to relish the challenge and went at their opponents both with and without the ball. Having been unbeaten all season this was new territory for Fylde. They later admitted that they regularly have teams visit and simply roll over, yet Bolton didn't do this. The Fylde centre began trying to trash talk his opposite numbers in the backs and there was a minor scuffle between the front rows after a scrum from which Fylde scored a try. However, this soon stopped when Fylde realised that this new tactic wasn't going to unsettle the Bolton players so they went back to being the gentlemen they actually are!...........12-3 Following a kick through to Bolton's 22, confusion between Hayes, at centre, and Vickers one of the Chasing Fylde players suddenly found the ball in his hands, the try line 15 metres away and not a Bolton player in his way. The easiest try he'll ever score..........17-3 Fylde used the wind to their advantage and from a penalty inside their own 10m line their 10 put in a massive boot which gave them a linout on Bolton's 5 metre line. Fylde's pack are by far the best drilled in this league and the wind didn't affect their lineouts in the way it did Bolton's and all game they were able to secure quality ball from it. Having won their line out they drove to the line but were repelled again and again. Until eventually a player simply picked up from a ruck less than a metre out and dove over to score..............22-3 Bolton continued to play their way out of their half and when necessary the cannon Turner keeps in his left boot would boom the ball to touch. Mills had a fine game at prop. His opposite number was mature, (that's a polite way of saying old!) experienced, very fit and strong and was probably Fylde's best player. At each scrum it was clear that Mills was struggling to hold him, but hold him he did. Not only that but he put himself about the park and on one bullocking run sent one of the big Fylde 2nd rows flying back, much to every one's amusement! However, that was not Mills' crowning moment......... with about 60 minutes gone he actually managed to do the splits as three Fylde players tackled him! Players looked away in agony, feeling his pain and suffering vicariously. All across the pitch players were commenting to one another "I've never seen a fat man do the splits before!" It was unfortunate that Mill's had to go off because this meant uncontested scrums and was not the reward his performance deserved. Bolton's Captain, Metcalfe, stepped into prop and despite his opponents offer of "Do you not want to try just one?" politely declined as being 6'0" and 12.5 stone he wasn't exactly built to take on the role! Fylde aren't simply a team that relies on their pack. They have a fine back line and they began to exploit the wind, tired legs and the rawness of Bolton's wingers. Now their back row didn't have to give their all to the scrum they were able to support their colleagues out wide far easier. From first phase ball the backs were starting to punch big holes and their full back was a classy runner who glided through holes with aplomb scoring two tries himself and making great ground for his team. The flood gates had oppened. The final score was 43-3 but this in no way detracts from the Herculean effort from every single one of the Bolton players. Fylde are simply too good for this league and were always going to win the encounter. What Bolton must take from this game is that it took a hell of a lot for them to be beaten and that same grit and determination against Sedgley Park at Avenue Street on Saturday 8th March will see them through as winners.
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23rd February 2008
Vale of Lune 53 Bolton 2nd 17
A patched up Bolton 2nd team travelled to Vale of Lune on Saturday and due to the haphazard nature of the organisation with a number of late cry offs, poor availability and poor organisation from their stand in skipper Jon-Paul Hardman were given their just rewards of being on the wrong end of a 53-17 point defeat. With a late set off from Bolton, three players crying off and forgetting their kit the Bolton team marched up to Vale ably bolstered by the additions of Tony Davenport and Steve Forrester to the forwards and the backs respectively. However on arrival at Vale it was rapidly realised that two players travelling direct had failed to make the game for Reasons unknown leaving Bolton at 13 men. A very game gentleman named "Wolfie" volunteered to play for Bolton from Vale and so the game commenced 14 vs 15 men. However it was not to be a day of joyous rapture for the Bolton team with a rearrangement of players including three forwards in the back line Vale rapidly exposed the lack of pace around the fringes of the Bolton rearguard to cross the line three times in rapid succession. One of the fiercest defences in the league was seeming to capitulate in a matter of minutes to a team lying four positions below them. But Bolton are not without a solid backbone and dogged determination from a restart saw Bolton gain penalty after penalty with the eventual sin binning of the Vale 8 for perpetual foul play. The resulting tap penalty and dummy run from Man of The Match (I'm off to Cornwall) Mills saw Parrish explode on the blind to open angle before punishing the three Vale defenders who had the audacity to try and prevent him crossing the whitewash for Bolton's opening score. As he brushed himself off and wandered back to the half way he acknowledged the efforts of the other forwards in gaining such good field position only five yards from the Vale line. Not to be outdone in the scoring stakes Vale crossed the line twice more before one of the strangest tries of the match came into being. A forward rumble established by the ever present Davenport had seemingly died to a ruck before Mills, stepping in at scrum half for the locked in Sunny Kwok, opted for a box kick forty yards from the Vale line. A stunned Turner appeared to be aghast at fly half with a choice phrase best not repeated in public company. The Vale full back casually gathered the ball and turned to kick, as his boot connected with a perfect shot, the borrowed Vale player "Wolfie" gamely appeared to charge down the kick using his face and the chase was on. Step forward a man not renowned for his pace (however his tackling heart is never in doubt) Johnny Hill, he fair bounded over the grass and with the temerity of a charging hippo on a hot day with a watering hole in sight pounced on the loose ball to score the try to conclude the half leaving Vale in stunned silence.
The score lay at 31-12 at half time and Bolton were roused by a half time talk which led to the Vale supporters lending a round of applause for the Churchillian overtures. However immediately after the break Vale used their man advantage to good effect to cross in the corner to effectively stall any thoughts of a Bolton fight back. And so the game continued with Bolton attempting their best to get back in the game only to be punished as gaps inevitably began to appear in their back line. The irrepressible Brogan and Hayes fought tooth and nail for every ball with Turner attempting to manufacture something out of nothing with every ball to try and stimulate the Bolton attack. Sunny Kwok's service from the back of the scrum and loose was impeccable throughout and he was gamely protected by Hill and Davenport throughout. Bolton had their very own "Raging Bull" at prop with Jaimie Henderson fighting, quite literally, for every ball - although next time he may wish to reconsider his position of picking the biggest man on the pitch To go toe to toe with. Crow was unfortunate in the tight and hampered in the lineout by the lack of line out jumpers with even Matthew Parrish being pressed into service to stem the tide of Vale attacks. Bolton were rewarded late on in the game with a charge down try for the effervescent Hayes but alas it was too little too late with Vale crossing for one final score after a thirty yard drive by the Bolton pack had floundered and been turned over leaving the score 53-17 to a rampant Vale.
Man of the Match was Lee Mills with close seconds to both Davenport and Brogan who never failed to impress with last ditch tackles throughout the match. Bolton must address their organisational skills for next weeks game and players must confirm early to avoid any other "misunderstandings". After the match Vale were very hospitable and complimented the attempts by the whole team to play rugby right up until the death. The weary souls adjourned down the M6 bloodied but unbowed for a well deserved pint at The Dressers in Chorley. As captain for the day thanks go out to every player who stepped up to the mark and there was a great deal of pride in every man on the park on Saturday.
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16th February 2008
Bolton 2nd XV 7 Ormskirk 8
Bolton 2's entertained 2nd in the table Ormskirk at Avenue Street on a clear sunny day. From the off it was clear why Ormskirk are where they are in the league with a solid 15 minutes pressure in the Bolton 22. However, Bolton have one of the best defensive records in the league and weren't about to allow the visitors in for a try. When Bolton re-shuffled their line up following the late arrival of the scrum half Kwok (He'd been awoken by a phone call from his captain at 1.40pm!) Bolton's backs laid down several statements of intent with some searing breaks. New boy Hardy impressed with not only pace but also power and desire not to go down in the tackle. The impetus given by their backs gave Bolton heart and from quality ball they drove into the 22 where Turner at fly half spotted the space out wide, flighted a cross field kick into the in goal and O'Donohoe scored. Just. Credit goes to the Ormskirk touch judge who assisted the referee in making the decision. Barlow slotted a dificult conversion, 7-0. From then on the game continued to be nip and tuck. The only other score in the half was a drop kick penalty from under the posts by Ormskirk, 7-3. Immediately prior to this the referee, Mr Fernside, spoke to the Bolton players about their discipline, in particular them speaking to him about the decisions he was making.
The 2nd half continued much as the 1st with both teams giving away nothing but neither being able to conjure a spark of brilliance to break the deadlock. However, from a centrefield scrum just outside the Bolton 22 the Ormskirk 8 picked up and went to the blindside. As Hill moved in to make the tackle the 8 made a long pass to the winger which the Bolton players believed to be forward. The referee didn't agree and allowed play to continue and the pacy wingman beat Hurst to touch down in the corner, 7-8. Clearly unimpressed with the decision Hurst remonstrated with the official and used some choice words. This was clearly un-acceptable and he was given his marching orders. Down to 14 men Bolton didn't capitulate and pressed the visitors to such an extent that they gained two penalty opportunities. With the Bolton line out being a little hit and miss and the scores being so close the only decision was to go for goal. Unfortunately both chances proved to be just outside Turners range and Ormskirk hung on to win. Bolton played well but never really gelled as a team and this ultimately was their downfall. With "The Machine" Knibb and their pack leader Hardman returning next week from 1st team duties Bolton's indomnitable spirit should be re-kindled for their trip to Vale of Lune. Hurst has been suspended by the club for 4 weeks pending his disciplinary hearing for using foul language towards the match official.
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9th February 2008
Eccles 3 Bolton 2nd 19
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26th January 2008
Bolton 2nd XV 19 Oldham 7
Bolton's fine run of recent form continued, with their 5th win in the last 6 games.
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5th January 2008
Bolton 2nd XV 10 West Park 0
Saturday saw Bolton 2nds playing West Park Threes in what was billed as A chance for a piece of revenge after Bolton were refereed out of the Early season encounter at West Park in a very tight game. Bolton began sluggishly with the wind at their backs, obviously a sign Of too much Christmas good cheer, and struggled to make any impact in The game. Poor ball from both line out and scrum ensured that Bolton Could not find any rhythm early on and too often good possession was Sacrificed either by poor tactical kicking or lazy hands. The West Park Pack came out with the frustrating intent to remain offside all day and The referee allowed these indiscretions to continue throughout the game. There was little to note from a torrid first half apart from the fact that Matthew Parrish reacted to a cynical trip by the West Park hooker which led to a flurry of blows from Parrish and one very surprised member of the opposition. With the speed of a raging gorilla, Parrish rained blows down on his opposition the like of which has not been seen since the pummelling dished out by Mayweather on a ragged Hatton in December 2007. Needless to say the referee took the sensible option and sent both Participants to their corners for a well earned 10 minute rest. The Drudgery of the first half continued until the match slipped into half Time with the referees whistle rudely awakening some of the dozing Supporters.
A call to arms from Metcalfe and the subsequent chaos theory kick off From Barlow (punt it as long as you can and hope that they make a Mistake) allowed Bolton into the West Park half and the pack began to Turn the screw time and time again. Cooper, Crow and Brogan continually Battered the line before a quick recycle and pass from Leigh allowed Hardman to gratefully collapse over the line. The subsequent conversion Was narrowly missed by the boot of Barlow leaving Bolton heading Proceedings at 5-0 for the day. West Park were sure to hit back and through their younger backs began to Make some room, however a gallant stand from the more senior members of The team Metcalfe and Forrester stemmed the tide before a quick reverse Kick from Barlow was gathered by Marcus O'Donohoe who showed a coolness under Pressure to gather, recycle and then release the speed of Carswell to Cross in the corner and seal the game for Bolton 10-0. Barlow again Missed the conversion leaving him with rather poor figures of 0 from 5 For the day, however mention must go to Matt Hurst who playing out of Position at full back played a blinder of a game taking ball after ball With an assuredness which must see him return in this position in the Immediate future.
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15th December 2007
Preston Grasshoppers 5s 29 Bolton 2nd XV 17
Bolton’s second team travelled to Preston lucking to continue their good form in the last match before Christmas. In an end to end match neither team really had any advantage as good defence from both teams kept the score to 8-7.
The second half started brightly for Bolton as a quick score gave them a 12-8 lead. Both teams then traded tries. Bolton’s being scored by scrum half Andy Leigh sprinting down the line. In the last ten minutes Preston drove over from close range to snatch the lead back and as Bolton pushed forward a break away try gave the final score a better look for the home side than they deserved.
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1st December 2007
Ruskin Park 17 Bolton 2nd XV 20
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24th November 2007
Bolton 2nd XV 31 Southport 0
After last weeks disappointing defeat to Trafford Metrovick in the Halbro Cup, Bolton 2nds returned to Avenue Street hoping to resurrect their winning ways against Southport 2nd team.
A very strong initial period of play saw Bolton steal all of their opponents line out ball through the deft touch of Steve Knibb and Chris Cockton was able to reap the wild dividends on his return to match fitness constantly sniping in attack with darting runs to break the opposition defence. It was Cockton's stealing on Southport’s scrimmage ball against the head which then allowed the ever alert Bolton back row to break before off loading to Knibb to cross for his first of the day. The Bolton back row of Aaron Heyes, Ash Cooper and Pete Brogan continued their crusade against the opposition never allowing them a moments respite during the ever worsening conditions. Further points came via the courtesy of Stuart Paul’s boot before Phil Casswell concluded a sweet breakaway move after Cooper had avoided a tackle by diving in the mud before rampaging up the pitch like a pocket armadillo. A swift replacement saw Alex Metcalfe replace Cockton as hooker and life continued as before for the dominant Bolton pack winning the majority of the ball with only some lack lustre finishing preventing further scores from the Bolton back line. Another try by Casswell concluded the first half with some fine individual finishing from the Bolton wing after good hands from James Singleton had released the speedy but balding winger.
The second half confirmed Bolton’s dominance with Southport never threatening the Bolton line with any real aggression. A poachers take at the back of a poor long lineout from Andy Leigh saw one of the premier rolling mauls of the season established before Knibb found himself in the pocket with ball in hand and gratefully flopped over the line doubling his try tally for the decade. 31- 0 was a better result for the Bolton 2’s however it was generally felt that the team still has much more to offer with the back row so dominant in turn over situations next week will require more precise finishing to capitalise on the increase in possession.
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17th November 2007
Trafford MV 15 Bolton 2nd XV 11
Bolton 2nd team travelled to Trafford MV in the second round of the Halbro Trophy. Bolton was fielding few changes to the side which had demolished Preston Grasshoppers the week before and were in confident mood. The game however did not go according to the plan with Trafford starting the stronger and rapidly capitalising on a mistake by Bolton fly half Danny Barlow and then on a missed tackle to go 12-0 up. The wind was playing havoc with Bolton’s structured game denying possession to both teams from the line out. Further problems ensued when both Will Swift and Chris Cockton had to leave the pitch due to injuries with Matt Vickers and Alex Metcalfe entering the fray as replacements and the ensuing reshuffle did little to alter the game with bright breaks from Aaron Hayes and Phil Casswell pushing Bolton up the field only for mistakes to take precedent allowing Trafford to continually clear their lines with the wind at their backs.
Half time brought a swift analysis of the lack of penetration from Bolton with Danny Ryder and Alex Metcalfe both urging the Bolton side onto the front foot. With Peter Brogan brought on as substitute the link between forwards and backs began to improve however it was Trafford who capitalised on a needless Bolton penalty for off side to push themselves fifteen points to the good. Bolton seemed reenergised by this and rapid hands up the field saw Bolton in the Trafford 22 area where the pack managed to steal a ball in the scrum freeing up the back line to attack from deep with good hands from Alex Sugden and Andy Leech allowed Ryder to provide a pin point pass for Casswell to beat the man and score in the corner. A difficult conversion was missed by Barlow but from the restart a tremendous take under immense pressure from Trafford by Peter Brogan allowed the Bolton team to pursue their march up the pitch forcing Trafford to concede what appeared to be a safe penalty. Barlow stepped forward to launch a long range goal attempt which sailed through with metres to spare. From the resulting restart Brogan was again imperious under the high ball releasing the youngster David Ormes to rampage up the pitch with support from both Paul Sutcliffe and Steve Knibb whereby once again Trafford were unable to cope with power of the Bolton pack and conceded another penalty duly converted by Barlow. Scenting victory Bolton pressed hard for further points but Trafford played a good last quarter to the game controlling the ball well with a set of rolling mauls with which Bolton struggled to find any answers. On the rare occasion the Bolton back line received the ball they showed incisive running to spring the defence however the last pass didn’t go to hand and the chance was lost. Bolton continued to manfully defend the tight areas and it was a tight maul which led to the last incident of the game with the Trafford second row being sin binned for head butting one of the Bolton pack in full view of the referee! An instant dismissal should have been made however the referee only saw fit to issue a yellow card to the offending player. This virtually ended the game and although another last ditch attack was launched it was to be to no avail. Bolton finished on the losing side of a tense 15-11 score line which was a little undeserved. But Bolton paid the price for their lack of penetration earlier in the game and for their inability to secure good quality possession which will be must when they return to League action over the coming weeks.
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10th November 2007
Bolton 2nd XV 34 Preston Grasshoppers 5s 0
After an abject display the previous week at West Park where the team tried hard but ultimately failed due to an inability to score points, it was imperative that the second team ensured that they were back to winning ways against Preston Grasshoppers. With early selection problems, Bolton reorganised by drafting in players and promoting from the bench to provide a starting fifteen who illustrated their focus through a good warm up session prior to the match. A last minute change at fly half which saw Danny Barlow in for Tom Keech was enforced, which proved to be something of a benefit as Barlow provided a solid platform from which to launch a number of attacks. From the kick off the Bolton team probed the Preston defence with a number of forays into their half which were repelled with a couple of last ditch tackles from the scrambling defence. Young Chris Cockton soon found his rhythm and his jumpers in the Bolton lineout securing solid possession through both Ormes and Knibb although the Bolton scrum was put under considerable pressure at times from the more experienced Preston front three. Aaron Hayes, Ash Cooper and Dave Ormes proved magnificent throughout the first half and were regal in the tackle whilst pouncing on turn over ball with an ever insatiable appetite. However pressure alone is never enough to win games and it took a dashing show of bravado coupled with a few moments of side stepping magic which would not have been remiss on Strictly Come Dancing from Stuart Paul to set in motion the move which would unlock the Preston defence. Taking a chip over the top in his own twenty two, Paul faked to kick the ball and sidestepped three defenders before releasing the ball for Carswell to cross in the far corner. Paul converted to put Bolton seven points to the good. From the restart Bolton continued to press and almost scored a second when good work from Cockton provided a gap from a quick penalty only for JP Hardman to spurn the chance to put Steve Knibb in at the corner for an open run in. From the resulting line out Bolton secured solid ball and consecutive drives by Parrish and Mee saw Hardman score the easiest of tries with Paul again converting. That was to see the end of Bolton’s try spurt for the half and they were forced to be content with two penalties neatly slotted over by the resurgent Paul.
An interesting half time team talk from the stand in captain where defence was emphasised, Bolton returned to the fray and instantly came under pressure from the Preston players and scrum. For a period of ten minutes Bolton’s defence proved unbreakable with every player standing tall and making tackles when required. Mathew Parrish and Ormes contributed to the solidity of the defence sometimes using various parts of their bodies to make tackles which aren’t included in the training manual! A swift swap which saw John Hill replace the tireless Hayes in the back row added fresh impetus to the Bolton attack and a march up the field saw a deft touch from Barlow with an inside ball to the ever present Ormes to crash over from close range. This was not to be the end for the Bolton side as after a desperate attempt to run the ball from their own try line Preston went for a strange long throw to the back of the lineout which was ably snaffled up by the veteran poacher Andy Leigh, as his eyes opened wide with delight he identified a small chink in the Preston defence and cut through it like a knife through butter, simply defying the restrictions of his aging limbs he side stepped two hulking forwards barring his way and dived with a cry of relief over the whitewash to complete Bolton’s rout. Paul again converted both tries to make the score 34-0 to an elated Bolton side. A superb team performance with a work manlike attitude from every player it was reassuring to see the mixture of youth and experience starting to gel at last.
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3rd November 2007
West Park St Helens 2s 8 Bolton 2nd XV 6
A dour affair between two very evenly matched sides was the best way to describe Bolton 2nds game vs West Park 3rds. West Park appeared to have chosen a young and ebullient team with the emphasis supposedly on attacking rugby with the aim to entertain their partisan fans on the sidelines. However it rapidly transpired that the emphasis was on kicking possession away in the face of the stout Bolton defence which was superbly led by the evergreen Steve Knibb who rolled back the years to give a snarling and biting performance from second row. Ably assisted by newcomer Chris Mee in the attacking stakes it appeared that Bolton would have the upper hand in what was to be a tight game. And so it continued and with West Park continuing to spurn chances Bolton marched up the field with some healthy backs play and from a resulting West Park indiscretion Paul converted from 25 yards. On the heels of this Bolton again attacked again and in good field position, Bolton seemed poised to take control of the game until a rush of blood led to Bolton prop Jon-Paul Hardman being sin binned for punching. This cost Bolton not only the field position but also led to West Park scoring the only try of the game.
The second half continued to be bossed by the Bolton pack with Ash Cooper and Paul Sutcliffe making telling inroads however the only points of the half was an exchange of penalties between the two kickers. This left the score at 8-6 to the home side and although a last gasp attack by Bolton was pressed home with enthusiasm it was not a day for heroes and Bolton were left ruing a second consecutive defeat which leaves them at the wrong end of the table. They must hope for a much better performance and increase their scoring ratio in the forthcoming games prior to Christmas.
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27th October 2007
Bolton 2nd XV 10 Burnley 2s 14
A disappointing loss for the seconds after a run of good results in the league recently. Hopefully the return of key players next week can get the team back to winning ways!
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20th October 2007
Oldham 2s 8 Bolton 2nd XV 19
After a good performance last week, Bolton looked to continue this performance at bottom of the table Oldham. A scrappy first half saw Bolton score first with JP Hardman, finding himself on the wing, bounding over from 20 yards. However Bolton conceded a number of penalties which allowed Oldham close enough to the Bolton line to score a push over try. Half time 7-5 to Bolton.
The second half saw Bolton take control and score 2 great flowing moves as Mathew Hurst and Lee Mills crossed. Bolton did let concentration slip in the final ten minutes, but defence was as tight as always, keeping Oldham at bay.
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13 October 2007
Marple 2s 20 Bolton 2nd XV 12
As with all good competitions Bolton travelled to higher opposition in the Halbro cup. The game started well for Marple as they looked to pin Bolton back, but Bolton’s defence held firm. As the first half progressed Bolton began to dominate the set pieces, frustrating Marple who conceded penalties. Stuart Paul having two long rang attempts on goal missing narrowly. Marple came back and was able to get round Bolton’s defence scoring in the corner putting the home team 5-0 up. Bolton hit back straight away as they pressured towards the Marple line. A Marple sin bin increased the packs dominance and Mathew Parrish was able to drive over the line. Paul converted making it 7-5 to Bolton at half time.
The second half started just as well for Bolton as straight from the kick off Aaron Heyes intercepted a Marple pass to run in from 30 metres. This put Bolton 12-5 up. Marple realising this was not an easy game began to press forward although there pack was being dominated at the set pieces. However there back line manage to create two opportunities which they took to put Marple 17-12 up. As Bolton went in search of a winning score, they were held up short several times by the Marple defence. A late penalty made the final score 20-12, Bolton can be very proud of this result, even though the pack feel they could have won it.
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6th October 2007
Bolton 2nd XV 45 Eccles 2s 15
After a poor run of results, the second put on a fantastic display against Eccles 2nd team. Controlling the game from the start Bolton pushed forward and drove towards the Eccles line. Only 5 metres out Pete Brogan drove over to put Bolton 5-0 up. Bolton remained on top although a slip of concentration let Eccles back into the game as they scored in the corner. The game was nearing half time when blood replacement Stuart Paul made an impact as he burst through the Eccles tackles. The following ruck led to Phil Caswell crossing the line. Paul converted 12-5. Bolton immediately went on the attack and great play by the forwards led to Paul breaking the game line and scoring under the posts, 19-5 at half time.
The second half started in the same manner as Bolton pushed forward. Further tries from Alex Sugden, Matt Hurst, Danny Ryder and Pete Brogan put Bolton firmly in the lead. Although Eccles got 2 consolation scores the game was won. Final score 45-15.
Moment of the match, Danny Barlow going for the line and being stopped by the upright! A great drive from the post pushed Danny back to the 5 metre line!
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29th September 2007
Ormskirk 2's 23 Bolton 2nd XV 0
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22nd September 2007
Bolton 2nd XV 7 Fylde 3s 36
Bolton’s second team put up a good performance against the league leaders. Fylde went into the match having won all three games and amassed over 100 points. Bolton were constantly on the back foot for most of the game and showed how good there defence was. Flanker Aaron Hayes was a constant thorn in the opposition’s side and deserved a try with a good break in the last 10mins A consolation try by Phil Caswell was all Bolton could muster, but it was the best of the day as Caswell circum-navigated the entire Fylde team to touch down under the posts.
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15th September 2007
Sedgley Park 3's 3 Bolton 2nd XV 3
Both teams battled hard, sometimes literally, and inconsistency from the referee at the ruck situation left players not knowing whether they could go for the ball or not. Needless to say forwards being forwards they mostly went for the ball and either disrupted play or got penalised. Either way, neither team could get into a rhythm. Whenever the Sedgley backs got the ball they simply kicked the possession away and relied on their excellent lineout to put pressure on Bolton. The Bolton backs did at least try to play rugby with the scraps of ball they got, but a lack of composure when breaks were made led to promising field position being squandered. Bolton scored first from a Paul penalty then Sedgely converted one penalty and missed a second, halftime score 3 apiece.
Despite the introduction of Bolton's subs, and more breaks by their backs, neither team could break the deadlock. In the last 5 minutes Paul narrowly missed a kick from right in front of the posts! He can be forgiven though since it was from just inside his own half! Sedgley then used their kicking game to pin Bolton back and despite intense pressure Bolton's ever formidable defence simply wouldn't bend, let alone break. A draw was a fair result in all honesty.
Thank you to the supporters who came to cheer Bolton on. Several Sedgley players commented on not only how many of you there were but how many women there were and how hot you all were. Ladies, Cheerleading practice will be organised soon and I'll get the lads to chip in for your outfits!!
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8th September 2007
Bolton 2nd 8 BAe Warton 5
Bolton took the honours in what is traditionally one of their toughest games of the season. The Bolton try came from promising debutante Aaron Hayes.
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1st September 2007
Leigh 5s 12 Bolton 2nd XV 7
It was a bright and sunny day as Bolton began the long trek to Leigh's pitch. Bolton started with purpose and pace with the pack rapidly establishing a physical dominance over Leigh's traditional "white orc's". Some slick play through the hands showed some moments of light, however, both teams were evenly matched and the defences held firm. Of particular note were Singleton and Joseph in the Bolton back line. Bolton fell foul of the referee a number of times and as the penalty count went up Leigh camped in the Bolton half. It was only a double tackle from Hardman and Joseph, which knocked the ball lose and relieved the pressure. Bolton's play moved into the Leigh half and the defending side began to infringe as Bolton had. From one of these Barlow's attempted penalty hit the post and Leigh were able to clear their lines. Bolton continued to pressure their opponents and industrious work at a ruck by the man of the match Hill turned over a ball just inside the opponents half. As the ball popped out Metcalfe picked up, drew two opponents and (realising he didn't have the legs to go round them!) chipped over for Singleton to score. Barlow converted and Bolton went into half time 7-0 up.
A lacklustre start to the second half by Bolton compared to Leigh coming out with all guns blazing led to a softly conceded try by the Leigh pack. This was unconverted. Score 5-7. Bolton quickly re-asserted themselves and disrupted virtually all of Leigh's lineouts whilst winning their own comfortably. First game of the season rustiness and getting back up to the pace of the game was clearly a factor for both sides! Leigh slowed the play down well and seemed to be taking an age to move the ball on from each ruck. But it was a tactic that stood them well as it allowed their older and heavier pack to combat Bolton's youth and pace up front. Leigh disrupted Bolton's ball well on occasions and it was from this that they were able to counter ruck, dislodge the ball and unfortunately it fell to their talented scrum half who was able to run under the posts, despite despairing tackles from Singleton and Caswell. This try was converted and the home side took the lead with 20 minutes to play 12-7. Bolton continued to come at Leigh and in the last 10 minutes continually drove the Leigh pack back in the scrum and in mauls. Unfortunately the narrow pitch didn't suit the visitors who after tying in the pack couldn't quite find the space to unlock Leigh's defence. Bolton were unlucky to lose and it was only two tries which could, and should, have been stopped that was their undoing. Every player performed well and the team spirit was clear to see. Leigh were excellent hosts and the return match on Bolton's more spacious pitches may just be the difference. A good start to the season and there wasn't much Bolton did wrong.
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