The smell of wet dog...

"At least it's not windy!"

As far as "Famous Last Words" go that must rank right up there with "Oh, I think the levee will be just fine" and "I'll buy you a lobster dinner if the White Sox win".

As if the 5+ inches of rain wasn't enough, the gale that blew up shortly before kick-off was enough for even the most devoted rugby player to question his sanity. That is, of course, unless you happen to play for Portland and you're in a top-of-the-table scrap with the unbeaten Irish Wolfhounds. In that case, neither wind nor rain nor flaming meteor storm could prevent you from doing your duty.

As it was, the home side took the field only slightly dryer than their opposition, having taken advantage of the "Pulling Shed" for their warm up and managing not to actually pull anything.

Playing with the wind behind them in the first half, the Irish began hoisting kicks in an effort to keep Portland back on their heels. Fielding these kicks proved troublesome as they either swirled in the wind, or bounced unpredictably in the patches of standing water. Sure enough, one of these kicks stopped dead in our own 22 only to be kicked on and pounced upon by the Irish full back. The conversion was good, and just like that the home side was in a 7-point hole.

Despite this set-back the Portland pack continued to provide a steady supply of clean ball from both the lineout and the scrum, and given the lousy conditions there was no shortage of knock-ons. Within 10 minutes Portland found themselves on the Irish 22 with the ball in Fred Hayman's hands as he turned back the clock and scythed through four or five tackles to crash over the line and score. The ensuing conversion would have been difficult in dry conditions, but on this day it proved too much for Andy Nelson who sent it wide. Nevertheless, Portland were back in the hunt.

It was not long before Portland were back in scoring distance and were presented with a penalty close on the left touchline. Instead of kicking for touch they opted to run, only to see Hannes slowed down by a high tackle that brought him up short of the line. The tackle didn't escape the ref's notice however, and this time Portland were presented with a kicking opportunity right under the posts. Up stepped Andy to slot the ball over and give Portland a slim 8-7 lead.

By a process of deduction and vague recollection I can tell you that Portland soon scored again, and I know that it was Hannes who scored, Andy converted it, and that it was probably off a lineout. What I can't tell you is whether it came before or after the break, and whether or not I had anything to do with it (as if you cared).

Anyhoo, I do remember half time, and how the gale subsided once Portland had a chance to take advantage of it. It may have been my imagination, but the rain also seemed to ease back from "torrential" to "steady". No matter, the Portland lads took an even firmer grip on the game in the second half, putting it effectively out of reach for the visitors with two more scores.

The first went to Jerry Alves who snuck in around the corner of a maul by using me as a decoy. Who wouldn't have expected the little scrum half to give it up to the lumbering forward outside him? It worked like a charm as most of the defenders moved far enough to the outside to create a gap just big enough for Jerry to wriggle through. Of course, having played with Jerry for more than ten years, I knew he was never going to pass to me, but I gave it my best "I want it" face anyway.

The second score went inevitably to Hannes as the back-row linked up off the back of a five meter scrum. Andy Nelson iced it as he made the conversion from an improbable angle, and that about covers all the action. A few late arrivals for the Irish came on to breath some new life in to their game, but it was too little to late. Scotty and Dean used the wind to their advantage to make sure that any subsequent visits to the Portland half were brief ones. Final score, 27-7, with Man-of-the-Match honors going to Jerry Alves.

The B game was....what, are you kidding me? Nobody wanted another game in that muck, but big props to all those Portland faithful who kitted up just in case or who came out to watch.

Portland's next game will be at home to Seacoast on Sunday (the 16th). Weather permitting we'll be back at Fox Street, so please come out and give us a cheer as we take on another top-of-the-table team.