Caravan Of Love

…brotherly love, that is.

This Saturday promises to have a festive air about it, thanks in no small part to the large prescription of bustrip that has been prescribed to all for our trip to Amesbury (FDA Warning: side effects may include nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, tone deafness, sleeping in the spare room, “bus itch”, amnesia and loss of dignity). The ride promises to be a good one as the Old Boys join us and share their wisdom and war stories. I’m sure you’ll agree that this’ll make a nice change from the wisdom and war stories shared by the regular old geezers who play for us.

Once at the ground the rugby will already be in full swing, with our old pals Seacoast taking on the Mountaineers and no doubt leaving right afterwards for an early night. A few of the older ones should be allowed to stay up late though, as they mingle with our own Old Boys for some kind of kick around scheduled for 4pm.

Then comes the headliner at 5:30, when the Portland boys take on Middlesex Barbarians (What’s in youer wallet?) under the lights and seek to finish the regular season with a clean sheet. It’s been many a year since the club has had something to smile about, and even if it did taking getting sent down to D3 to get here, there is a true sense of history in the making. So, just like Woodstock, Game 7 of last year’s ALCS, the ’66 World Cup Final and that time Joey fell off the picnic table, do you want to hear about it from others for years to come or do you want to say “I was there”?

Be at the "real" Park 'n' Ride across from Bally's at 1:30pm and bring $20 on top of your regular pocket money to help pay for your prescription.

Cake

a wind has blown the rain away and blown the sky away
and all the leaves
away, and the trees stand.

i think, i too, have known autumn too long.

e.e. cummings
(Seacoast scrum half, 1922-1935)

Yesterday Portland played hosts to the only other undefeated team in the league, Seacoast, in the penultimate regular league fixture. Once again the fixture was shifted to the Cumberland Fairgrounds, on account of all this beautiful weather we've been having. Not that it should have mattered to Seacoast all that much, since this had been the site of their Spring-time victory, and one of the lower points in PRFC history.

Indeed, the wind was in the process of blowning pretty much everything away, so Portland took advantage of the Pulling Shed once more for their warm up. We shall miss ye sheddy, and your drafty, horse sh*t covered comforts. But, despite the rustic surroundings, the home team took the field warmer than the hardy spectators, and seemingly warmer than the visiting side. Whatever the excuses, Seacoast came out flat, allowing Portland to dominate the first quarter of the game and rack up 17 unanswered points. Early scores went to Hannes and Tractor as the forwards picked up where they left off against the Wolfhounds. This time however the backs got in the act as well, swinging the ball through several pairs of hands for Dan Joyce to touch down in the corner.

By then Seacoast were starting to show signs of life, with their pack running hard off the fringes as they sought to create room for their backs. Unfortunately they didn't need too much room for their nippy winger to get up steam and score their first points of the game. Portland responded with another try before half time, this time from Jeff Keating, as he iced another period of strong forward play. 22-5 at the half.

Half time saw a couple of substitutions, and then the action resumed with both sides exchanging tries. True to form on both sides, they scored another break-away, and we ground another one out through the forwards. Yours truly got that one. 27-12.

Portland started to get lazy and Seacoast sensed their opportunity, piling the pressure on. At this point Jeff Keating picked up a yellow card for some kind of tackle infringement, that left Portland spread thin, not to mention in shock that such a fine upstanding pillar of the community should commit such an act. To think that during the week Jeff is shaping the minds of the country's youth while at the weekend he is blatantly flouting Article 10, Subsection 2, Paragraph (a) of the rugby laws. For shame.

Anyway, back to the game. Portland defended hard but eventually gave up another score to the Seacoast back-line, bringing the score to 27-17. Soon however Portland were back to full strength and wrested control of the game to score again, with Tractor defying gravity to pick up his second try of the game as the ball came down just before his feet landed in touch. Much love to the Seacoast touch judge for calling it like he saw it.

You'd think that was enough drama for one day, but just as Portland brought the ball inside the Seacoast 22 again for a possible final score, that tricksy Seacoast winger intercepted a midfield pass to run the length of the field and touch down under the posts. 32-24, game on. But, oh dear, there goes the final whistle and it's all over. Too little to late.

The B game, other than being superbly officiated, saw one of the baldest Portland back lines in many a year. It followed a similar pattern to the A game, with break away tries for Seacoast and forward grinders for our lads. In the end they cancelled each other out, with the final score tied at 15-15. Not that Portland didn't squander plenty of opportunities to win it, with sloppy handling and needless obstructions, but hey, that gave us all an opportunity to listen to the ref blow his whistle. Big ups to Stu Dunlop for making his annual appearance, and to even making it to the drink-up despite his long drive home.

Speaking of the drink-up, I have to give a mention to Seacoast for their dissapearing act after the game. No doubt they had to head home for an early night in anticipation of their game against North Shore tomorrow. I hope it turns out to be worth it, since they missed out on a great spread of food (cheers Beth) and even a special "5-0" cake that Ed bought.

That about wraps it up. Portland travel to Amesbury on Saturday for their final league game. A bus is still on the cards, so dust off your kit and get on board.

Sunday's Game moved to Fairgrounds

The headline says it all. Players should convene at 11:30 tomorrow at the Fairgrounds, since today's steady rain has rendered Fox Street unplayable again. The weather should be a bit better than last week, but still expect it to be wet under foot. If you've got any of my tarps from last week, please bring them back.

Kick Off is 1pm, and as always, friends, fans and those curious about the sport are more than welcome.

Directions to the Fairground are here.

No….I love you, man

Awww...we really have come a long way. Those nice guys at Old Gold are giving us props on their website about “livin’ the D3 dream” and even go so far as to post a picture of us mixing it up with their weekend rivals, Providence. Much love, man.

This really is turning in to a regular old love-fest between our two clubs. I feel dirty.

Anyhoo, er...best of luck to those Old Gold chaps for this weekend. Give ‘em hell, and thanks for the mention.

Meanwhile, closer to home, the boys you really love will take on Seacoast on Sunday at an as yet undisclosed location. Kick off is at 1pm, but depending on the weather it may be at Fox Street or back at the Fairgrounds. Keep it tuned right here to find out where exactly it’s going to go down.

For what it’s worth, Seacoast arrive undefeated, although having played one game less than us. Due to rain or poor scheduling it looks as though they have had to hastily paste in a game with North Shore for this Tuesday. Two big games in three days. Better them than me. Let’s make sure they start it off right...
...if you catch my drift.

Riverton directions and a whine about dues

For those of you looking for directions to Riverside, sorry to disappoint, I only have directions to Riverton, which are right here.

Get thee out to practice tonight as the season hurtles towards its tumultuous climax. Success will not be forged in a single moment but in a thousand tiny details wrought by the hands of the faithful.

Speaking of faithful, it appears that there walks amongst us some who pay lip-service to the ideas of fraternity and brotherhood yet believe that they can play for free, in their free jersey, and then have the temerity to drink our free beer, and eat our free pizza. Does that seem right to you?

It may have escaped your notice, but this club spends money (on you) like a drunken sailor on shore leave, and the only reason we stay out of the poor house is by having everybody chip in. But, that does mean everybody.

Now I’m not the type to publicly humiliate the deadbeats among us. That would take Chris Woodsum nerve. I want to believe that Derrig some good reason why you haven’t all put your Hannes it to your pockets by now. It wasn’t cheap to Boyer all those new jerseys, you know! Fournier’s now I’ve been keeping Tractor of the club’s finances, and there really isn’t much to Dan re-Joyce about. Meeting our financial obligations has become a Zabriskie business. Joe, to all of you miscreants I say, Hay-man, let your Clontz-ience be your guide, Andy you can look forward to enjoying this Jason-day’s game with a clear heart. Pay up.

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.