Sadly for you, our loyal social media followers, we have a slightly sobering update below, following on from the giddiness of last week’s regular instalment of Edinburgh Northern related news.

A difficult experience for the 1st XV away at Lismore, coupled by having to postpone the 2nd XV fixtures due to a lack of availabilities (which is disappointing given recent weeks successes) meant that overall Saturday evening was a bit of a damp squib from the authors perspective.

Regardless, with the week to come, we’ve got a truly amazing (no, seriously) thing to look forward too and with that promise (read guarantee) please enjoy this news bulletin/party political propaganda…

On the Field
A first thing must be to say thanks to the large numbers of supporters, old boys, committee members and current players who joined the 1st XV for the trip to Lismore. Although some were enabled by the cancellation of the 2nd XV fixture (more to follow), their presence on the side-line was a big spur to the boys in the 1st half and apologies for the unfortunate outcome.

Your support is hugely meaningful and they’d love it if you joined them again this weekend for the home fixture.

On the field, although more details are noted in the match report, which is attached here in brackets - http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/edinburghnorthernrfc/teams/25206/match-centre/1-2185358), they went down 17-11 to Lismore. Having dominated the game for 60 minutes in the face of stern opposition, they fell away late on to three tries and an unlucky yellow card. Improvement is needed to stop Hawick Linden this Saturday, who have been on a winning run of their own.

As for the 2nd XV, please accept our apologies from Playing Committee for the postponement of this fixture. We do our best week in week out as a collective to put out two strong Northern sides, and unfortunately this week with the fixtures being held at separate grounds, we just couldn’t manage to add up to the sum of our parts. We hope that this is the last time we will (hopefully) be forced into this position pre-Christmas.

Off The Field/AKA HALLOWEEN
Now - here’s the truly amazing thing we were going to talk about.

Unless you’ve been living under a stone, don’t have access to the internet at home (in this case, your most likely reading this in a seedy internet café in Newington) or it just so happens that you don’t a) care about this club enough (in which case, try harder) or b) care so much you’ve avoided reading about us like some form of crazy, terrifying ex (I’d know) it’s our Halloween Party this weekend.

A 7.00 p.m start and with the Entertainments – beautifully, lovingly, devotedly prepared by Entertainments Convenor Chris Jayne – kicking off around 7.30 p.m, it will be a long evening of fun for all the family (except kids, don't bring your kids).

Fancy dress is compulsory, no matter how poor an effort (believe me, it’s no worse than “bin bag man” or being a Dalmatian). Games will include Pintmare, Liquor-treat, Pumpking and to make these sordid and dark places of CJ’s mind (more) enjoyable, there will be a copious number of beverages to enjoy, including £1.50 Jose Cuervo (which for reference is Tequila for the uninformed) and Café Petron at £2.00. You can even get Heineken for £2.00.

So unless you want to have a face like you’ve been dookin’ for chips, having missed out, rather than one looks like it genuinely enjoy being buried in flour looking for jelly babies, we’d advise you make the effort and get you and yours down for the clubs second best night of the (calendar) year

Training/Availabilities/This Week/Lights
Lights. Their tricky things and they haven’t been performing well of late. We know this, you know this, and Committee knows this. We however are getting them checked today and so it is our promise they will be working and useable tomorrow night!
This week at training we should have Will down both nights. It’s not ideal when we only have 10-15 bodies to work with him, and we truly are punching a gift horse in the mouth by not giving him the credit he deserves by not turning up en masse. If you can’t make a session, we’d ask you let Calum know, and similarly, although we can’t make you, if you can make at least one session a week, please, please, please endeavour to do so.

In terms of your availabilities, we’d request that you get them in before a Tuesday night (selection happens then). We’re looking good this week, so keep them coming!
Fixtures at Linlithgow for the 2nd XV (including a pub crawl apparently) and Hawick Linden at home for the 1st XV.

We’ve been Edinburgh Northern, that was your update. We hope you’ve enjoyed and we’ll see you this week for either the fixtures or the party (or both, obviously, be a good Northerner).

Yours in rugby,

ENRFC