1st XV start the season as they finished the last

The Bulls welcomed Market Bosworth for their first league match of the new campaign having played them in their last outing of the previous season. Despite a much-altered side mixing new faces and old, there was an uncanny sense of déjà vu about the game.
Ives started well, but a penalty concession gave the visitors the opportunity to kick to the corner. From the resultant lineout, slick hands stretched the home defence creating a gap through which the fullback darted to open the scoring.
Ives response was immediate. Pressuring the Bosworth defence, they forced penalties of their own. Eschewing opportunities for points in front of the posts, Ives also went for the lineout. After a couple of drives to the line, Matt Wood breached the defence to equalise.
There followed a long period where both sides had opportunities, but the defence at both ends of the paddock was sound.
With half time approaching, Ives scored a tremendous team try. Great continuity between forwards and backs alike saw the ball carried from deep within their own half until Fleming finally went over in the corner. Charlie Mandley struck a fine conversion from the touch line.
There was just time for the game to be restarted which proved to be unfortunate for the Bulls. Knocking on the kick off gifted Bosworth possession. Their own continuity opened a gap for the second rower to stroll through under the posts.
The conversion tied the score at 12-12.
The second half could not have started worse for the Ives. Spotting an overlap from the kick off receipt, an ambitious pass only found the turf. The opposition winger pounced and scored.
The Bulls upped their game and created a number of opportunities. One electric passage of play started with a break by Michael Sykes, followed by great runs by Ollie Raine and skipper-for-the-day Alex Henly, who was felled just short of the line.
Tiny errors thwarted a number of home attacks as the ball slipped from hands.
The hosts’ frustration was compounded as the game entered its final quarter. A collective lapse in the defensive line saw a jinking run by a Bosworth player take him past all for a fine individual try.
With the clock ticking down, Ives threw caution to the wind. The Bosworth centre read a passing movement and intercepted to sprint away and add an unlucky gloss to the score. With all three second half tries converted, the score finished 12-33.
Coach Paul Humphreys commented, “It was good to see much of what we have practised out there today. The players themselves recognised that the result was much more to do with small errors on our part than our opponents creativity. As this team plays together more, we’ll undoubtedly get the results.”