Portland tops Providence

Given the early state of the season, we're playing our cards close to our chests this week with a slightly more tight-lipped match report than usual. Hopefully by revealing just the bare facts, our plans for a lazer-death ray can remain a secret, and we can reserve any editorial comment for the weather or the after match activities.

One inescapable fact however is that Portland came out winners this past weekend in their opening league fixture of the 2007 season, on a day hotter than a stolen tamale and a pitch dryer than a biscuit.

Mmmmmm...biscuits.

With the sun at its highest play kicked off and the initial onslaught came from Providence as they poured it on good and heavy. There were some tense moments from the home side, but they were eventually able to clear their lines and settle things down in midfield. Play see-sawed for a while but then Portland opened the scoring with an try from Steve Stewart, who's tireless performance would go on to earn him man-of-the-match honors for the day. Andy Nelson made the conversion.

Portland scored again shortly afterwards, this time through Ryan Facey, with another conversion from Andy Nelson, bringing the score to 14-0, which was how it was to remain until half time.

Whatever Providence was drinking at half time it must have been good as they struck back with a vengeance, running in two quick scores under the posts, and before you could say "wtf?" it was all tied up.

Both sides continued to slog it out under the hot sun, and never were substitutes more welcome. Through some concerted pressure Portland were able to earn a penalty in kicking distance, which Andy Nelson was able to convert and give the home side a slender lead.

Tensions began to grow on both sides as the clock wound down, and rucks and mauls were entered with ever increasing ahem..."enthusiasm". With about 15 minutes remaining an attempted kick ahead by Providence was fielded inside the Portland 22 and instead of clearing to touch Portland opted to run it back in search of a knockout punch.

The ball passed its way through several pairs of hands as it worked its way upfield and eventually found itself in the possession of Jerry Alves (I think) who crashed over in a cloud of dust to complete the move. Andy continued his kicking streak to make the conversion, and bring the scoreline to 24-14 in Portland's favor.

Despite continued pressure from Providence, and a few late handbags, that's how it remained, and I would guess that even the visitors were a little glad to hear the final whistle after 80 of the hottest minutes in a while.

The ensuing B-game saw many new (and some welcome old) faces pull on the scarlet jersey and take the field despite the continued high temps. The contest was to be an even one, with both sides scoring two tries a piece. Tractor was the definite protagonist of one of these moves, while either Brendan or Francis gets credit for the other.

Unfortunately however it was kicking that would be the decider in the B game, and while Providence made both of their conversions, Portland missed both of theirs, and so it finished 14-10 in favor of the visitors. Newcomer Colin Dumont earned man-of-the-match honors for his hard running and tackling at Wing and Center.

So that's all the news we're willing to print. Tune in next week for the more snark-free commentary. Portland hosts South Shore this weekend, also at Dougherty Field.

Looking for the Providence game?

...well look no further than the maps below for the locations of both the on-field and post match festivities.

It's leauge season for reals now, so come see if all the hard work will pay off. Game on!

Here's where the game will be played, otherwise known as Dougherty Field:

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Top food, top beer and above all topless waitresses.

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Training moves (again)

In case you haven't clocked it yet, training has moved again, this time back to Payson Park. We should remain here until the clocks go back, at which time we'll move back to Riverton and take advantage of their floodlights and wonderful drainage.

If you can't find Payson Park by now, shame on you, but if you've just moved here or like to color-in, here's another map.

Get thee to the Seacoast game

Saturday brings our first home fixture of the Fall season with a warm up game against our neighbors from down the road, Seacoast.
This would be a make-up match for the game-that-never-was in the Spring, when they were too "nicked up" from winning the D3 cup at NERFU. I then said some things about them, they said some more things, and much hilarity ensued.

But that's all behind us now, and we're all set for some spirited competition tomorrow. The A Side kicks off at 1pm, so players should be in the neighborhood by 11:30am.

Here's where the game will be played, otherwise known as Dougherty Field:

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After all that's said and done, we will be heading off to our new sponsors, The Stadium, for some booze, food and first-class waitresses. Meet us there if you're just too darn frit of getting roped in to play....

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Weymouth Warm Up

Portland made its first attempt to gather the faithful this weekend for a warm up game at South Shore, and yea verily, Coleridge was right, summer has indeed set in with its usual severity.

Nothing more to say about the numbers that hasn't already been said behind closed doors. It was what it was. Thirteen and later fourteen players were able to inconvenience themselves long enough to take the trip down to South Weymouth, while others attended to the sundry other distractions that can get in our way if we want them to.

Thanks to South Shore for treating the game in the spirit in which it was intended and for lending us a couple of players to fill in the gaps in our own ranks, and it was thusly equipped that we commenced the game of three 25-minute periods.

The South Shore pitch is a small one, with just enough room to land a couple of hundred geese apparently, and with a stiff cross-field breeze the touchlines too often came in to play and prevented much in the way of fluid play. Both sides were clearly reacquainting themselves with the rules, giving rise to numerous penalties and a staccato style of play that could not have been too easy on the eye of the spectators.

Lots of lineouts ensued, which themselves were often ugly slap-around affairs, not helped by different calls and some cross-cultural confusion in pronunciation. It'll all be alright on the night though.

Although South Shore opened the scoring with a penalty, Portland were first to cross the line when Jerry Alves created and then jinked through the kind of gap that only he could fit through. Evan made the conversion and thanks to some good Portland defense and circuitous running by South Shore backs, that's how the score remained for most of the rest of the period. At the very end however an optimistic kick ahead from South Shore bounced kindly for them, wrong footed our full back, and gifted them a score. 10-7 at "third time".

The second third was also pretty evenly matched, with Portland adding a try through a Francis crash ball, and a penalty of our own, while South Shore managed another converted score to level the game at 17-17.

Portland was able to put some daylight between themselves and the hosts in the third period, with 3 tries to South Shore's 1. A pair of conversions a-piece brought the final score to 34-24 in favor of the visitors.

A good showing by those who were there, but it's the not-showing that gave greater cause for concern.

Portland are at home to Seacoast this coming weekend, so expect the woodwork to be fully vacated.

Training moves to Riverton, Tuesday added

As a herald of the impending league season our training routine gets a little more formal next week with the addition of a Tuesday session and a move to the (slightly) less lumpy venue of Riverton School.

Noobs can find some directions to the Riverton venue here. Just go down to the end of the school parking lot and we should be hard to miss. Tuesday and Thursday sessions kick-off at 6pm as usual, so show up early enough to kit up and be ready to go by then.

Sign up to the message board to get any weather related changes to this plan that may occur as the season unfolds.