After a Winter that seemed like it would never end, Portland got its season underway in bright sunshine this past Saturday. Long time friends and rivals Amoskeag made the trip up to Cumberland Fairgrounds, offering up an early test for Portland's new(ish) looking side.
Before any of that stuff however, we had the treat of watching some of Portland's bygone (and not so bygone) stars do their thing in the Old Boys game. While in the past our A side might have been accused of being long in the tooth, they make for a sprightly looking Old Boys team, and it wasn't long before they were stretching their legs against a not so sprightly side from Amoskeag. To be fair, they did out number they visitors by a couple, but even after we lent them a few players, the Portland side was soon leading comfortably. The match turned in to something of an exhibition for Portland, and the way they were slinging the ball around made it clear that they had no intention of getting their shorts dirty. The final score was unknown, but I've no doubt that Portland won handily.
If the Old Boys game was an exhibition, then the A Side had a grittier quality, even if the final scoreline was as one sided. Portland fielded many new faces from the side that struggled through last Fall, along with well...ahem...a good sprinkling of familiar ones. All in all it looks like a side with a lot of promise, but one that needs to get to know itself a bit better. While Portland competed physically in both the set piece and the breakdown, and won its fair share of ball, it did not capitalize on its chances as effectively as the Amoskeag backline. Indeed, it was the visitor's decision making with the ball in hand that decided the match; turning scrappy ball in to scoring opportunities with crisp passing and sharp running.
Portland should take heart in the fact that they contested the match right down to the final whistle, and threatened to score on a couple of occaisions. It's a cliche, but there's no substitute for match experience, and after all that time indoors playing with ourselves, it was a bit much to expect Ron Jeremy to show up on the first outing. Nevertheless, Portland showed that they knew what was supposed to go where, and showed stamina. Most girls would be happy with that as a start.
Er...OK, I don't know how that got all smutty there. The day was, after all, a great family day out, with plenty of good rugby for all. To cap things off, the B side ended up playing pretty much the same Amoskeag side the A side had faced, so I don't think that game went much better. If anyone knows the score, then let me know. Despite that, the club took a good step forward, and I think most of us had a good day out.
Worcester is visiting us at the Fairgrounds this weekend, so make sure you're at practice again this Thursday. Be at Fox Street at 6pm sharp, since there's a lot to cover, including the election of Selectors "at large".
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