The Dew Drop Inn Virtual Rugby Pub

First topic message reminder :

Welcome to the virtual rugby pub - a place where you can come in for a sly beverage and discuss whatever's on your mind, or just eavesdrop on the regulars if you fancy a break from all the rugby chat.

The only rule in this pub is one of mutual respect for everyone in it, oh and no defacing the Tommy Bowe photo on the bar. That's a banning offence

So pull up a chair....what'll it be?



Previous pub: https://www.606v2.com/t11223p1000-the-dew-drop-inn-virtual-rugby-pub#366751

tecphobe wrote:Would it be fair to say that the irish poster on here are positive about the game last night certainly the second half at least?

I'm disappointed with the result. I believe we were the better side in the 2nd half and had some good opportunities to win the game. France were better overall though and battered us from pillar to post in the 1st half. The defence again was superb.

I'm really concerned about our set piece. The scrum was ok in the 1st half but an absolute shambles in the 2nd when Ross went off. The lineout was a disaster from start to finish, even with Flannery throwing. We were more threatening with the ball in hand than last week and I think we are on an upward curve but we really need to start getting results now. We have some very good players to come back in so overall things aren't shaping up too badly.

Thomond, you should read this;

http://www.lineoutcoach.com/2011/08/14/ireland-need-to-get-into-winning-habit/

It's a blog by Gavin Hickie, former Leicester and Leinster hooker, who now specialises in coaching and writing about the lineout. Interesting analysis.

Think I'll work my way through that too notch may end up throwing in for Wales at this rate.

Nothing really new in that Notch but a good analysis all the same. The French attacked our lineout very well and they leaned across the line cutting down the space for Rory to deliver into,Magne is certainly earning his paycheck.

[/quote]

I'm disappointed with the result. I believe we were the better side in the 2nd half and had some good opportunities to win the game. France were better overall though and battered us from pillar to post in the 1st half. The defence again was superb.

I'm really concerned about our set piece. The scrum was ok in the 1st half but an absolute shambles in the 2nd when Ross went off. The lineout was a disaster from start to finish, even with Flannery throwing. We were more threatening with the ball in hand than last week and I think we are on an upward curve but we really need to start getting results now. We have some very good players to come back in so overall things aren't shaping up too badly. [/quote]. Somes my feelings up tho im hoping that ireland are not wanting to show there hand with the linout options and backs moves wins over france at home and england would have me feeling much happier with things. Tho im not unhappy with expectation being lowered a little. I wouldnt mind if other teams were righting us of preworld cup.

I think two home wins and we'll have every reason for optimism. Lose next week and the pressure will seriously be on.

Dublin through to the Minor All Ireland Hurling Final for the first time since 1983

Cari wrote:Dublin through to the Minor All Ireland Hurling Final for the first time since 1983

Well done those lads

The biggy's in half an hour...got a super stream so I'll see it all....hopefully it'll be a decent result. (gulp!)

Cracking half of hurling, all square at half time, dubs asking a lot of questions of tipp here


come on lads

It's great isn't it Hughie? I said that the Dubs wouldn't make it easy for Tipp. All the pressure and expectation is on Tipperary as champions, the Dubs can relax a bit and just enjoy themselves. They've done much better than expected this year already.

Dubs could do with a goal

Take a bow Gary Macguire. Yet another fantastic save

for CARI

Awh well done Tipperary....but it wasn't easy. Well done Dublin. what a game.

It was the 2nd best hurling game of the year,Dublin's tactics saved them at times but hampered them in the end. Their extra man in defence gave Tipp no space and it limited their opportunites. They were then short of a man in attack when they needed the scores late on,they never looked like scoring a goal but they played very well. The GAA's money is looking like it's going to earn them some reinvestment,question is why haven't they done that for other counties?

The Chinese media has reported on an extraordinary account of a mother bear saving her cub from a life of torture by strangling it and then killing itself.

The bears were kept in a farm located in a remote area in the North-West of China. The bears on the farm had their gall bladders milked daily for 'bear bile,' which is used as a remedy in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

It was reported that the bears are kept in tiny cages known as 'crush cages', as the bears have no room to manoeuvre and are literally crushed.

The bile is harvested by making a permanent hole or fistula in the bears' abdomen and gall bladder.

As the hole is never closed, the animals are suspect to various infections and diseases including tumours, cancers and death from peritonitis.

The bears are fitted with an iron vest, as they often try to kill themselves by hitting their stomach as they are unable to bear the pain.

A person who was on the farm in place of a friend witnessed the procedures and told Reminbao.com that they were inhumane.

The witness also claimed that a mother bear broke out its cage when it heard its cub howl in fear before a worker punctured its stomach to milk the bile.

The workers ran away in fear when they saw the mother bear rushing to its cub's side.

Unable to free the cub from its restraints, the mother hugged the cub and eventually strangled it.

It then dropped the cub and ran head-first into a wall, killing itself.

Many TCM practitioners have denounced the use of bear bile in their treatment as there are cheaper herbs and synthetics that can be used in its place.

Bear bile is traditionally used to remove 'heat' from the body as well as treat high fever, liver ailments and sore eyes.



What a horrible story.

That is an unpleasant and sad story Thom.

http://www.bhf.org.uk/default.aspx?page=13449

Anyone got a great tale of human endeavour to balance out the above tale?

WillyGilly wrote:Anyone got a great tale of human endeavour to balance out the above tale?

Yes I have been married 25 years today.

Human endeavour? Ah right got you!

Congratulations!

WillyGilly wrote:Anyone got a great tale of human endeavour to balance out the above tale?

I've read every comment on the debate about the Ireland squad this summer.

Believe me, that counts

Da iawn Cymro

My wifi went kaput last night. Notch I thought George Hook was in fine form last night after the match. First questioning why Buckley, Wallace and Fitzgerald even bothered to play proffessional sport and then moving onto to suggest that Geordan (said with a classy southern drawl) should start the next match. Frankie and your other man whose name escapes me then procceeded to extract the Michael from him for the next 20 minutes, before Frankie then nullified his opinion by putting forward Hayes and Horan for selection.

I think I did get this in last night but I was very impressed by Murray.

To be fair, I'd actually prefer Hayes to pack down than Buckley in some respects. I just don't think he'll be able to handle the pace of the top sides but as a scrummager? Hayes is still better! Says more about Buckley than him though.

My Wifi will go doolally on Tuesday. I got an email from the company saying they're doing some work to improve it and it might make my internet go on and off. Thankfully I'm back in my own office next week so I can surf the net a bit in work

Evenin' all. Does anyone else here get the Sunday blues?

I don't after a good days viewing of sport Lucky.

It's been a good weekend of sport, but I always get the Sunday blues. I try not to think about it, but the morning alarm and getting up for work is always looming on the horizon!

Ah Lucky, just think you're nearer the next weekend tomorrow. And it's a bank holiday soon. That reminds me I'v got leave to use up before September...I really think I get given too much leave....or maybe I just don't take enough of it.

I've got my holiday coming up too, I can't wait! I don't get super-down on Sundays, but it just nags away at me sometimes.

On that note, I'll finish my virtual bitter lemon and be on my way. Nos da pawb!

Night Lucky. See you yn y bore no doubt.

Evening all

Just watching Eng v Wal now. 20 minutes in and so many observations I want to make already but am posting from my phone so will save it for tomorrow for when on computer.

Hope everyone's had a good weekend.

The golf looks like it could get very interesting on the ldst few holes, lots of moving going on in the top 5, cheering for Robert Karleson

Credit to these unknowns for really going out to attack the course. I was expecting them to come right back into the field.

Evening people. Last minute before sleep for me.

I've been picking blackberries in my Ma's garden this afternoon. My hands are cut to ribbons

So, jam or crumble is the decision. Hmmm...

littleswannygirl wrote:Evening people. Last minute before sleep for me.

I've been picking blackberries in my Ma's garden this afternoon. My hands are cut to ribbons

So, jam or crumble is the decision. Hmmm...

Crumble with apple.

Big finish here in the golf. Much as I'd hate to see a yank win it, I'd equally hate to see Dufner blow a big lead.

Was it something I said? Or is it because I haven't showered since golf this morning?

Summarise the last hole of the playoff would ye Willy? I'm away from a TV.

Bradley with a fairway wood. Dufner with a driver, looks like he's gone the farther. Bradley is two shots up. Unlikely that Dufner will hole his shot for an eagle so he needs to birdie it and hope Bradley drops a shot. Even then it's still more playoff holes. Bradley's to lose.

Bradley with 197 to the pin and pulls out a 6 iron. I'd just about drive that! Just safely on, he'll win from there so unless j man can hole this...

... Nope. Right up next to Bradley. His very first major championship and he wins it. Not too shabby. Euro tour dominance is broken. Damn yanks! Though who'd have put money on these two yanks in the playoff.

Moreover if you'd been told a Jason D would be in the mix right at the end nearly everyone would have put money on a certain Mr Day. Funny old game.

Right, I'll put this one in the graveyard slot. Excellent ram safari yesterday. Seen quite a few sweepers potentially, quite a few that should be teasers as well mind!

I cycled up the Taff Trail yesterday. Did 32 miles or so. Not bad considering I was rough as Flip from Saturday. I was in hospitality see. Don't think I mentioned it

Moanin' All

Back in my own (old?) office now...for the time being anyway. Great weekend of sport wasn't it? Well it was for me

Well done on bike ride Risca. 32 miles is impressive anyway regardless of a hangover.

Morning all

Any on the go?

Right, deep breath time, and here are my thoughts on the Wales vs. England game.

12 hours or so after watching the game, and having slept on it, I am still at a bit of a loss as to how England managed to blow it so spectacularly. Having watched the game already knowing the reuslt and having read reports I paid very close attention in order to try to establish it all went wrong.

Yes, we were one dimensional. There was a lack of invention at times, but for long spells we controlled terrioty and possession and that is fairly worrying, given the fact that we failed to score a try as a result. Having said that, it is fair to say that England could have been as much as 33-6 up at half time and really should have been at very least 19-6 ahead.

However, the fact that we were not was of our own doing with the exception of Rolland failing to award what to me was a clear penalty try on 18 minutes, when England were destroying the Welsh scrum under their own posts. (I thought Rolland was excellent apart from that one decision).

The most worrying thing for England for me was a lack of intensity and dynamism. Too many times at the contact area England players ambled towards and watched as the Welsh forwards fought tooth and nail to either secure or slow down the ball. It looked as if when we were defending that the players had been told to not commit to the ruck but to maintain a strong defensive line. That is ok in principle, but if the opposition is getting clean, quick ball, they will still get across the gainline as you are reorganising, and England really need to find a balance here.

I have read on here that Stephen Jones in the Times gave Hape 1/10. The man is a complete fool. Whilst Hape has his limitations, he kept offering himself up and looked to be part of the game. In fact for me he was the most productive of England's outside backs on Saturday.

Looking at the game as a whole, I think it has shown a couple of things.

1. England will have to fight tooth and nail to get out of their pool, although I do believe they will, but are unlikely to go much further and would not beat any of the 3N's teams on this showing.

2. Wales should be worried. Credit to them for defending manfully for long periods, they were excellent in that regard. However, if you give on of the 3N's teams or Samoa that much possession and territory, they will hurt you in a way that England failed to do. Wales looked fit and strong which will serve them well, but they need to find a way of keeping a bit more ball if they are to compete with the real top teams.


Roll on next weekend and more rugby to chew the fat over.

Morning all,


http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/
http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/rugby/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport?mobile-redirect=false
http://sport.scotsman.com/rugby
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbynation/
http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/rugby

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/headlines.cfm?c_id=80
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union

Bore da pawb / good morning all, I'll have a if I may.

Good analysis there, Pete. As far as Wales are concerned, We usually struggle with our lineout but Huw Bennett's throwing is so much better than it was, and if Matthew Rees doesn't make it I imagine he'll start and we should do better in that area. We should have Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones back by the time the World Cup starts, and that should - should - sort out our scrum. It was the failure of our set pieces that left us with so little ball and thus having to defend for so much of the game (that's not to say that England's set pieces weren't excellent). If we can get parity at least at scrum time and secure our own ball both there and on our own throw, we can be competetive. There's definitely more attacking intent behind the scrum, which is a real positive after what we saw in the Six Nations.

Brilliant!! They're playing Hayseed Dixie's version of Bohemian Rhapsody. It's class.

It's the first time I've heard it, Cari - not bad at all!

Rev, when I lived in Cardiff I rode the Taff Trail from Sophia Gardens to Llandaff and back. That was enough for me!