TEENAGE scrum-half Richard Bolt made his League debut for National Division One side Exeter Chiefs last week. Richard, 17, from North Tawton, started in the Chiefs team which faced Newbury last Tuesday, (December 27) but was substituted at half time with the team leading 14-10. However, in the second half the Berkshire side came back into the game and snatched a 37-35 victory with an injury-time penalty. Exeter Chiefs director of rugby was full of praise for the highly rated youngster. ?The tempo of the game was very high and I was very pleased with how Richard did for 40 minutes. ?It was a massive step-up for a 17-year-old and it will give him an idea about what the requirement is at this level,? Bremner said. The former Okehampton College student signed apprenticeship forms with the Chiefs this summer. He has been training full time with the Chiefs at the County Ground and attending Exeter College one day a week. Bolt had already made good progress this season making four appearances from the bench, prior to being handed a starting place for the Holiday Tuesday game. l IT was a disappointing return to the professional game for another ex-Okehampton player last week. Julian White returned to the Leicester Tigers line-up but saw the club beaten by his former side Bristol in the Guinness Premiership clash on Tuesday, December 27. White was playing in his first match since October following an eight week suspension for fighting with an opposing player.
