B-School Bus Bonanza

Now that was an alliteration!

Perhaps you somehow aren't on Fred's mailing list, or perhaps you just like the way I say it better, but tomorrow's road trip is a special one, in that the club has chartered a "luxury" motor coach for your riding pleasure. Decent.

Now pay close attention, since this means a few changes from your usual road trip routine. Firstly, given the price of fossil fuels these days, you will need to bring an extra $20 over and above your usual travelling funds to help the club off-set the costs. So, for most of you, that means you have to bring about $21.50. Or, $1.50 and a check made out to PRFC for $20, or even better still, pay your dues with a credit card below, and tack on an extra $20.

Still with me? OK. Secondly, we'll be meeting at a different Park 'n' Ride. One that you can actually fit a bus in to. This particular one is just a little up the road from our regular haunt, opposite Planet Fitness or Bally's or whatever it's called these days. Be there at 8:15 some the bus can leave at 8:30 to pick up all the idiots still at the other Park 'n' Ride. Bring snacks, reading material and a muscial instrument if you can play Rhinestone Cowboy on it. Probably bring an umbrella too.

K. Simple enough, really. Anyone still to register for CIPP should get on that, lickety-split. Do it here.

Do the Dues:

Nail-biter at North Shore

Portland opened their league campaign this past Sunday with a real squeaker at North Shore. Clearly they'd done a bit of recruitment in the off season, and came out looking to compete.

Portland opened the scoring early after a break down the wing from yours truly, before being dragged down cruely short of the line by what can only have been the fastest prop in NERFU. Fortunately Hannes was not to far behind and was able to pick up the ball and touch it down in the corner. Not sure if the conversion was made, since I was hobbling off towards the cooler.

Honestly I lost track of things for a while there, but I believe Portland added another penalty to their total before North Shore got on the scoreboard themselves. Portland added another penalty and another try, which was a collective effort from the forwards, which means I don't know who scored it. What I do know is that Andy Nelson converted it from the sideline, which turned out to be the deciding factor in the game. Though North Shore added a penalty of their own, and scored a breakaway try in the final minutes, it still left them agonizingly one point short. Thus ended the game, 18-17 in favor of our boys, who showed some character to hold on for the win.

On the positive side, Portland showed up with some good numbers for a change and enjoyed some strength in depth. As I said, the boys hung in there and absorbed a lot of pressure. On the negative side, I wrote a really shitty match report. Sorry about that.

Have you paid your dues for the Fall? If not, then you'd better do it here:

Stop Press - Women's Match Directions

Hey, better late than never. Here's a link for directions to the women's game against Bates tomorrow.

Linkapalooza

Good luck girls!

North Shore Directions

Meet at the Park 'n' Ride by 8:30am on Sunday, ready to leave for the 12:00 noon kick-off.

For those of you travelling directly, directions are below, and a map of sorts is here. If you haven't already done so, let someone know that you won't be at the Park 'n' Ride - preferably someone who will be.

See you there.

Directions.
Rt 1 can be accessed from I-95 at exit 45 (I think) just before the 95-128 junction.


From Route 1 North or South:
Get off at Walnut Street heading towards Lynn
Take Walnut Street to O'Callaghan Way about 2 miles off of Route 1
Take a right on to O'Callaghan Way
Follow O'Callaghan Way to its end
Take a right on to Holyoke Street
Follow Holyoke to its end
Take a left on to Winnepurkit Street
Follow Winnepurkit Street to its end
Take a left on to Boston Street
Follow Boston Street to Austin Square (There'll be a convenience store on
your right)
Take a right on to Summer Street
Follow Summer Street about 1 mile
GEAA Field is on your left
If you get to CL Hauthaway, you've gone too far

Clumsy Practice Metaphor

Imagine you had a jigsaw, but some of the pieces have fallen down the back of the couch....no wait, prented you're trying to make a cake but none of the ingredients have labels on them....no, you're trying to paint a picture in a dark room....

Well, if none of that works for you, pretend you're trying to make selections for this Sunday's game, but you're not sure who among the 30+ guys who have made cameo appearences at practice over the last month are available, not to mention all the "players on paper" who have yet to show their face, or the regular stream of e-mails the club receives from guys who profess to be interested in playing yet who never show up.

While your chronic fear of commitment might be irresistable to women, it's just a pain in the arse for the rest of us, so do us all a favor and e-mail Jay and let him know a) if you will be at practice on Thursday, b) if you are available for this Sunday's game and c) if you have any intenterest in any other part of the season.

You click, you type, you send. Simple and painless, and with much fewer tears and than you're used to.

Practice Countdown

Two practices remain before the kick-off to the League season. Imagine what might happen if the 25+ active players on our books all showed up to practice on the same day. Oh, the practice we would have.

To get you in the mood, here's how Sky Sports has been advertising the kick-off of a little league they call the Guinness Premership. Nothing compared to NERFU D3, but if they can get all psyched-up about their league, I don't see why you can't.