If you're still in town and reading the blog at this late hour, then you'd better get your skates on and get down to Newport. Kick off is at 10am tomorrow morning.
To help you on your way, here's some directions.
Going down tonight? Crash at Mike's house here.
Going down in the morning? Go straight to Fort Adams Park, here.
Bring your rain gear, 'cos the weather looks like this.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Fairgrounds Romp
Portland cut loose this past weekend, putting up some big numbers against their guests from Eastern New Hampshire and Central Maine.
Having been on the wrong end of a few patronizing match reports after a lopsided result, I'll try to avoid too many cliches, and leave it to the "angry commenters" to regale us with stories of their individual prowess.
The first game saw Portland run away 98-10 victors of Monadnock, who to their credit seemed genuinely angry and surprised every time the home side scored. No sooner had the conversion attempt been made and they were thundering back to the half way for another quick restart that failed to go 10 yards. Here's a tip for free - when on the end of a hiding, waste as much time as possible. Once the result is beyond any doubt then a sympathetic ref is sure to let the clock run when there are shoelaces to be tied, contact lenses to be found or minutes to be taken. After a while it's just about damage limitation.
Following an almost complete rotation of the Portland side at half time, the flood of scoring did subside somewhat and Monadnock were able to pick up a couple of scores of their own late in the game. Again, at the risk of sounding hugely patronizing, they stuck at it and we wish them all the best for the future. Bless 'em.
Oops. That last bit sort of slipped out.
[What a douche-bag - Editor]
Next up were the Stripers of Central Maine, and despite what you might have read in the comments, the game was for the most part played cleanly and free of much acrimony - or as free as any rugby match ever could be. This was the Stripers first outing of the Spring, so the rust and lack of match fitness was showing. Portland were able to exploit this, and while not scoring quite as freely as in the first game, they were able to make sure the traffic was pretty much one way.
There was another changing of the guard at half time, evening up the odds somewhat, and although I have no idea what the final score was, I would think that first-half lead left it firmly in Portland's favor. Anyone who knows the result is free to comment it below.
After that there was another round with our B's and Monadnock/Stripers all stars, which proved to be the closest contest of the day. I'm pretty sure even the ref didn't know the score of this one, but I've been told it landed in Portland's favor. Feel free to refute this below, but be prepared for the-angriest-man-in-rugby to get on your case about it and try post a bunch of comments that I won't even be able to publish.
Ah, happy days.
MOTM honors went to Ben Gurney (again), so it's time somebody else step up and have a big game. Scorers are too numerous and frequent to mention, so I just won't.
So here's you, posting your best comments.
"Grrr! I'm so angry!"
Having been on the wrong end of a few patronizing match reports after a lopsided result, I'll try to avoid too many cliches, and leave it to the "angry commenters" to regale us with stories of their individual prowess.
The first game saw Portland run away 98-10 victors of Monadnock, who to their credit seemed genuinely angry and surprised every time the home side scored. No sooner had the conversion attempt been made and they were thundering back to the half way for another quick restart that failed to go 10 yards. Here's a tip for free - when on the end of a hiding, waste as much time as possible. Once the result is beyond any doubt then a sympathetic ref is sure to let the clock run when there are shoelaces to be tied, contact lenses to be found or minutes to be taken. After a while it's just about damage limitation.
Following an almost complete rotation of the Portland side at half time, the flood of scoring did subside somewhat and Monadnock were able to pick up a couple of scores of their own late in the game. Again, at the risk of sounding hugely patronizing, they stuck at it and we wish them all the best for the future. Bless 'em.
Oops. That last bit sort of slipped out.
[What a douche-bag - Editor]
Next up were the Stripers of Central Maine, and despite what you might have read in the comments, the game was for the most part played cleanly and free of much acrimony - or as free as any rugby match ever could be. This was the Stripers first outing of the Spring, so the rust and lack of match fitness was showing. Portland were able to exploit this, and while not scoring quite as freely as in the first game, they were able to make sure the traffic was pretty much one way.
There was another changing of the guard at half time, evening up the odds somewhat, and although I have no idea what the final score was, I would think that first-half lead left it firmly in Portland's favor. Anyone who knows the result is free to comment it below.
After that there was another round with our B's and Monadnock/Stripers all stars, which proved to be the closest contest of the day. I'm pretty sure even the ref didn't know the score of this one, but I've been told it landed in Portland's favor. Feel free to refute this below, but be prepared for the-angriest-man-in-rugby to get on your case about it and try post a bunch of comments that I won't even be able to publish.
Ah, happy days.
MOTM honors went to Ben Gurney (again), so it's time somebody else step up and have a big game. Scorers are too numerous and frequent to mention, so I just won't.
So here's you, posting your best comments.
"Grrr! I'm so angry!"
Friday, May 11, 2007
Festival of Northern Rugby
After a brief hiatus Portland is back in action tomorrow with their first home fixture in quite some time. But what a fixture it is, with two teams showing up to have a tilt at your home-town heroes.
Firstly we have the newly formed Monadnock RFC, aka Keene State Alumni, who have burst on to the D3 scene this year and who are looking to build on some of their strong performances against Bull Moose and erm...nobody else. I'm sure you're all very interested in that strange name they've chosen for themselves, which presumably they've taken from Mount Monadnock which is wicked close by to Keene, NH. What's even more interesting than that is the fact that the term "monadnock" has been adopted by American geologists as an alternate term for "inselberg" which describes "an isolated hill, knob, ridge or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gentle sloping or virtually level surrounding plain".
So lets hope they're able to rise abruptly to the occasion and put on a good show without looking like isolated knobs.
Oh snap!
As if that doesn't all sound like too much fun, the second act brings us even more rugby from the wild frontier, when the Central Maine Stripers (and perhaps even a few Bull Moosers) will be strutting their stuff. The Stripers themselves are, of course, named after the Three-Striped Night Monkey (Aotus Trivirgatus), one of several species of Northern Owl Monkey. Known for their large eyes and striking face markings they feed mainly of fruit, nuts, leaves insects and small invertebrates.
No, that's what the monkeys eat, silly.
After that, there's even talk of a third act, in which the Knobs and the Monkeys duke it out for your viewing pleasure. All that and sunny too!
So all you Old Boys should bring your boots and your lawn chair, so after you've phoned-in your requisite 40 minutes of rugby you can put your feet up and tell us how it was done in your day. I can't wait!
Oh yeah, it all kicks-off at the Fairgrounds at 1pm.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Turbulent River
An ill tempered matched ended with an uncharacteristically good-natured result when Portland and Charles River met up this past weekend in Franklin Park.
Despite the sunshine, overnight rains had turned the normally dusty Franklin Park pitch in to a bit of a quagmire, so it was never going to be ideal conditions for running rugby, but short tempers and ahem..."challenging" refereeing prevented the game from ever really getting out of second gear.
The game started with Charles River definitely coming out the sharper of the two sides. Like an '82 Rothschild Portland never travels well, and the joys of driving through some of Boston's most scenic neighborhoods had clearly preoccupied the visitors. Charles River's big and physical pack took advantage of Portland's sluggishness, repeatedly crashing ball off the side of the rucks and all in all making themselves quite a handful. Soon enough this pressure told as Portland failed to contain the fringe attack.
After the Portland captain picked up a yellow card for erm...an obstruction of justice, Charles River quickly took advantage of the overload up front and scored again. Now 12 points adrift, Portland finally began to wake up and offer up some kind of resistance. Play staggered in both directions, with poor handling preventing either side from gathering much momentum. Tries were traded by each side, with Hannes Bouwer opening the scoring for Portland. Despite the signs of life however, Portland were 19-5 adrift at the half.
The second half offered much of the same stop-start rugby as before, with most plays dissolving into an ill-tempered ruck, complete with much shoving and name calling on both sides. Again it was River though who kept their focus, opening the second half scoring with a well taken chance off turnover ball.
With the scoreline now at 24-5, and Portland giving every appearance that they would rather keep fighting than start scoring, it seemed as though the game was quickly heading down the tubes. However, as gravity and a late yellow card began to take its hold on the Charles River pack, Portland were able to exert some pressure of their own and begin to stretch out the opposition defense. First Fred Hayman and then Bubba Nadeau were able to dance down the wing and score, with Fred having the presence of mind to give our motley assortment of kickers a helping hand by touching down under the posts. Scotty duly rewarded his efforts, and after both scores it was now 24-17. Game on.
With seconds on the clock Portland spun the ball wide once more, only to see Fred hauled down by his collar inches short of the line. Had he been allowed to cross the line unmolested the resultant conversion angle would have probably proven too much for any of part-time kickers. However, thanks to that ill-timed shirt grab, the ensuing penalty try ensured a kick under the posts that Matt Winch was able to slot over as though he had ice in his veins (instead of piss and vinegar).
Full time and a score of 24-all. Probably the only result that, given the nature in which the game was played, could ensure that neither side went home with a serious pole up its arse. All's well that ends well, and both sides were able to congratulate themselves for not losing. Fred Hayman secured MOTM honors for the game, as he continues his return from injury and begins to fire on all cylinders.
The B-side returned to their winning ways in more unequivocal fashion, running out 31-0 winners in a more good natured encounter. Despite a lot of familiar faces from the A-side, it was probably the cameo appearances of Spyder and Joey D that stood out the most, as they proved themselves masters of the 20-minutes-a-side format. Good to see them out, now if they could just add another 40 minutes to their repertoire then we might be on to something. MOTM honors however went to someone with 120 minutes under his belt who was still able to bust out a 60 meter breakaway try, not to mention a sterling all round performance – Ben Gurney. Ah, to be young again.
Portland are resting this weekend, and return with a home fixture on 5/12 against Monadnock / Keene State Alumni / Stripers.
Despite the sunshine, overnight rains had turned the normally dusty Franklin Park pitch in to a bit of a quagmire, so it was never going to be ideal conditions for running rugby, but short tempers and ahem..."challenging" refereeing prevented the game from ever really getting out of second gear.
The game started with Charles River definitely coming out the sharper of the two sides. Like an '82 Rothschild Portland never travels well, and the joys of driving through some of Boston's most scenic neighborhoods had clearly preoccupied the visitors. Charles River's big and physical pack took advantage of Portland's sluggishness, repeatedly crashing ball off the side of the rucks and all in all making themselves quite a handful. Soon enough this pressure told as Portland failed to contain the fringe attack.
After the Portland captain picked up a yellow card for erm...an obstruction of justice, Charles River quickly took advantage of the overload up front and scored again. Now 12 points adrift, Portland finally began to wake up and offer up some kind of resistance. Play staggered in both directions, with poor handling preventing either side from gathering much momentum. Tries were traded by each side, with Hannes Bouwer opening the scoring for Portland. Despite the signs of life however, Portland were 19-5 adrift at the half.
The second half offered much of the same stop-start rugby as before, with most plays dissolving into an ill-tempered ruck, complete with much shoving and name calling on both sides. Again it was River though who kept their focus, opening the second half scoring with a well taken chance off turnover ball.
With the scoreline now at 24-5, and Portland giving every appearance that they would rather keep fighting than start scoring, it seemed as though the game was quickly heading down the tubes. However, as gravity and a late yellow card began to take its hold on the Charles River pack, Portland were able to exert some pressure of their own and begin to stretch out the opposition defense. First Fred Hayman and then Bubba Nadeau were able to dance down the wing and score, with Fred having the presence of mind to give our motley assortment of kickers a helping hand by touching down under the posts. Scotty duly rewarded his efforts, and after both scores it was now 24-17. Game on.
With seconds on the clock Portland spun the ball wide once more, only to see Fred hauled down by his collar inches short of the line. Had he been allowed to cross the line unmolested the resultant conversion angle would have probably proven too much for any of part-time kickers. However, thanks to that ill-timed shirt grab, the ensuing penalty try ensured a kick under the posts that Matt Winch was able to slot over as though he had ice in his veins (instead of piss and vinegar).
Full time and a score of 24-all. Probably the only result that, given the nature in which the game was played, could ensure that neither side went home with a serious pole up its arse. All's well that ends well, and both sides were able to congratulate themselves for not losing. Fred Hayman secured MOTM honors for the game, as he continues his return from injury and begins to fire on all cylinders.
The B-side returned to their winning ways in more unequivocal fashion, running out 31-0 winners in a more good natured encounter. Despite a lot of familiar faces from the A-side, it was probably the cameo appearances of Spyder and Joey D that stood out the most, as they proved themselves masters of the 20-minutes-a-side format. Good to see them out, now if they could just add another 40 minutes to their repertoire then we might be on to something. MOTM honors however went to someone with 120 minutes under his belt who was still able to bust out a 60 meter breakaway try, not to mention a sterling all round performance – Ben Gurney. Ah, to be young again.
Portland are resting this weekend, and return with a home fixture on 5/12 against Monadnock / Keene State Alumni / Stripers.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
(brief) Amoskeag Match Report
Out of nowhere comes a day finally fit to be called Spring-like, and out of the wilderness comes a Portland side short on playing time but long on enthusiasm. Since their fitful start against Old Gold, Portland has had plenty of time to get down on themselves, but instead they came out and played against Amoskeag this past weekend with an optimism and that had been absent of late. Despite the eventual loss, the lead changed hands several times, with Portland crossing the Amoskeag line on four occasions. Had it not been for Evan’s erm..."bad day at the office" with the place kicks the scoreline might have been even closer.
The game was played at a brisk pace throughout, with Amoskeag’s open, running style of rugby contrasted with Portland’s more conventional set-piece oriented game.
Anyway, I could go on and on about this, but since it's already a week overdue, I'll keep it to just the facts. Scorers were, me, Derrik, Byron and somebody else. Portland played most of the second half a man down due to an unfortunate communications error with the ref.
The B's winning streak was finally broken, going down 17-14. Bubba scored and somebody else there also. Bubba secured MOTM honors for his efforts.
A good day out, and more glass-half-full kind of stuff. Still a poor substitute for winning.
Portland travel to Charles River tomorrow for another crack at it. Be at the Park & Ride at 9:30am if you're interested in taking part.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Amoskeag On Deck
This weekend sees us travelling to our neighbors in New Hampshire, Amoskeag. The pitch location has been confirmed as their Northeast Athletic Club/Pembroke site, directions to which can be found below. They would appear to point to a location somewhere about here, but don't take my word for it. Better to meet up and the Park & Ride across from Ballys at 9:45 tomorrow, so we can all get lost together.
Those directions:
Take 95 South to 101 West to 93 North...
Home Pitch (Northeast Athletic Club):
I-93 (North) to exit 13. South on Rte. 3 for 5 miles. Turn left onto Academy Rd. (Immediately before Pembroke Academy/Pembroke School District sign). 1 mile to the end of Academy Rd. Turn right onto Buck St., the field is on the left. (Alcohol and Dogs are not Permitted)
Those directions:
Take 95 South to 101 West to 93 North...
Home Pitch (Northeast Athletic Club):
I-93 (North) to exit 13. South on Rte. 3 for 5 miles. Turn left onto Academy Rd. (Immediately before Pembroke Academy/Pembroke School District sign). 1 mile to the end of Academy Rd. Turn right onto Buck St., the field is on the left. (Alcohol and Dogs are not Permitted)
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