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 David Pocock photo on the bar. That's a banning offence

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

rugbydreamer wrote:English football needs a massive overhaul, but when you get lads put into academies and told they are the best thing since sliced bread, paid ridiculous money at such a young age, you're going to get complacent and lazy players. Add to that they do not develop the skill set at a young enough age, you get average and spoilt players. It does my head in. My Dad and I have regular rants about it. With the money made in the game in England, they should have more then enough to overhaul the coaching system from grass roots up. Will never happen though.

You Rock!

ha, I've just wound myself up a bit Gibbo!

need a to calm myself down

Best team to watch in international football at the moment?

Yes Dreamer, but its all true. Everything you said. Why do the paying English soccer punters put up with this mediocrity? Why do they waste 100's of millions on false hopes? Why do they love spending milliions on foreign Star players for their top clubs, who take the places of young English talent? Players who really dont give a sheet about England?

I know the answer. Greed and craving instant success for their clubs = long-term disaster.

Germany.

Nederland.
We are beeeeuuatiful to watch now.

Gibson wrote:Yes Dreamer, but its all true. Everything you said. Why do the paying English soccer punters put up with this mediocrity? Why do they waste 100's of millions on false hopes? Why do they love spending milliions on foreign Star players for their top clubs, who take the places of young English talent? Players who really dont give a sheet about England?

I know the answer. Greed and craving instant success for their clubs = long-term disaster.

That's precisely it Gibbo, and it's something we have to be very wary of in Rugby Union. I'm so glad the Scarlets and other Welsh regions are now going down the home grown route, and that the Irish provinces have been doing it for a long time now. I don't care if that's been forced on us due to financial difficulties, it is quite clearly the best way to go.

England as a nation will never be great at football until they address the root problems, and it's just something I can't see them ever doing, not with all the money involved.

"for those in Scotland who don't want to know the result look away now..."

Then he said they had won. He should have said to mute as well!

MBTGOG wrote:Best team to watch in international football at the moment?

Spain vs Chile

Am super sleepy now so all I shall say is nos da pawb.

I think you missed your vocation Dreamer. Sports journo.

I'm thinking an article in the Soccer section on here. Might get hammered for it, but phhoke it.
I feel the same way about Irish fans, who spend millions watching this hyped-up Premiership tripe too. When it would be better spent on developing Irish Soccer. Really pisses me off.

prop_lyd wrote:

MBTGOG wrote:Best team to watch in international football at the moment?

Spain vs Chile

Nederland vs Uruguay.

Scotland v Northern Ireland.

My friend is packing his stuff to go home. He's left a lot of clothes to me that he's not bringing back. Will take the stuff I like and send the rest off to charity along with some of my own clothes that will be replaced by some of the new ones.

It's all making me a little sad though.

Have the dutch moved on their game from World Cup Gibbo. i like watching Germany Uruguay Ghana

If you'll excuse me stumbling in on my way home from my local...

Is there really no thread here with the Blackett Report???

Ok I'm not doing it tonight. I'll see if I can get it tomorrow.

Cowshot - welcome (cricket forum usually are you not). I think quite a few people realised that the RFU was not what it should be, but I did not realise the extent of Thomas's influence. Hence the comments of non-existent 'governance' (hate that word). In other words, a near dictatorship may have allegedly been in place.

Steele saw what was there, hence his decision to defer the selection of a new performance director. It would be interesting to get the various views of those in the running for the job (Conor O'Shea especially).

On a football note. Not sure if it has been covered but there was a welsh fan murdered tonight apparently at Wembley.

To say murdered may be incorrect. Seems there was a fight and there is a murder team investigating. Either way very sad news indeed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14815693

That's all that the beeb have on it.

RIP fella; no one should lose their life while out going to watch any match. Sounds like there may have been England fans involved, given the proximity to the stadium, but many locals are of the gang genre.

I heard that 6 people currently arrested are all welsh fans! Bizarre if true. Thank God that we never hear of this around rugby grounds rare even though it is at football stadia.

red_stag wrote:Have the dutch moved on their game from World Cup Gibbo. i like watching Germany Uruguay Ghana

Dont go for that moving on tag. They were brilliant v Brazil. A few games at the WC, they got hard against their natural grain. But, they were far too soft for too long.

They need the steel, every team does. But, they are also playing sublime football as per. A happy balance. They are the best team in the World. Germany a close 2nd.
Spain have shot their bolt and are back to normal. As for the rest... Uruguay maybe.

That's why they don't play each other more often. Is there anything more short sighted than Flip football fans.

Who is the best team to watch internationally atm??


Not got a clue, because like most people in here I don't watch football, its just not cricket. Amazing how everyone has an opinion on a night like this though


As for Ireland, didn't see the game but a point away I suppose is good, and I read somewhere that we havnt conceded a goal in eight games. Now like I said I don't watch football but surly results should trump performances. Who cares how they get them as long as the results keep coming, no????

Awful Saudi fans booing our golden boys... I'm glad we whipped them 3-1 in their own hot-house. Those fans are the most one-eyed I've ever seen.

Not looking forward to Qatar in 2022... what a rort (thanks FIFA) and fancy playing in front of those unenlightened 'sports lovers'?

As I'm off for three days now I don't know what time ill wake up in the morning, and I know how asbo likes his papers with his boobies, sorry I mean fried eggs. So ill stick them up now,


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

And as requested on a Wednesday by rava (cause I know he still lurks)

http://www.ballymoneytimes.co.uk/

Weirdest result of the night. Slovakia 0-4 Armenia. Beyond reality. Means Ireland need to win at home v Armenia & away v Andorra. If they do that and its not a Shay Given, they are guaranteed a playoff place. And if Slovakia beat Russia at home (they beat them away) - Ireland top the group. Man.

World Soccer, in the weaker countries, is a crazy place right now.

Morning all. Much too early for me.

Had a nightmare start to my trip to Marseille. Just about to leave and I realised I didn't have my passport. Absolute nightmare. Had to whizz back to my block. On the plus side at least nobody knows and I realised in time.

Anyway, bye now or bonjour as Delboy would say.

Marseille? Now that wouldn't be a jumping off point for chasing a former North African dictator across the desert, would it?!

Nice work on the papers, Hoog - perfect with my usual breakfast: &

Nicely set up for the day now

Bore da pawb / good morning all

Glas a du wrote:"for those in Scotland who don't want to know the result look away now..."

Then he said they had won. He should have said to mute as well!

They do that on the news before Match of the Day - say 'look away now' and then read out the results. The Likely Lads would have smashed their telly in.

English fans and media think their national team is / should be great because English clubs tend to do well in the Champions league. The fact that the best players at these clubs aren't Englishmen doesn't seem to have occurred to them.

Wales played some really tidy football last night, especially in the second half. The great shame is that we didn't take the one golden opportunity we had, because a draw would have been a fair result.

Fourth in the world, you're having a laugh...

Seems I missed all the England chat. They're taking steps in the right direction. I believe a centre of excellence along the lines of the French and Germans i being established. I don't think any England player would walk into the top world teams. Liverpool have been better without Gerrard actually. I would say a lot of them are overhyped and are surrounded by better or more influential players than themselves. I would have a lot of time for some English players,Wilshere being one,will go on to be one of the world's best. I would wonder how good one of their newest "superstars" is. Tom Cleverley wasn't exactly spectacular at Wigan but has been superb for United. Same could be said for Wellbeck.


Mario Balotelli was on the bench for Italy last night and apparently he took out his iPad!

don't you think that convoy was a bit obvious a decoy...


...unless it's a double bluff.

I'm glad I'm not involved in that sort of decision. Mind you the five star generals probably would prefer not to have to deal with the Poopie I've got on my plate at work currently.

Guten Morgen

Talks of a Sweep Across Sahara to Chad over here

thom,you read that wrong;he took out his shin-pad

Seems very convenient that the Rev is off on another trip. Very convenient indeed



Morning all,


Three days off, and not a penny to do anything with. Story of my life haha

It's not warm on the docks today. Can't wait to get to Lanzarote!

Has anyone heard from Penfro?

luckless_pedestrian wrote:It's not warm on the docks today. Can't wait to get to Lanzarote!

Has anyone heard from Penfro?

You off on Holliers Luck? When you headed?

Just caught the last 10 mins of the Ireland game on tv yesterday, listened to the rest on the radio. Can't believe this team is within 2 games of a play off place. It's really dire football to watch. Richie Dunne is a (Tallafornian) legend and all that, but we have zero cutting edge, it's dour stuff.

Your right luckless, there is a definite chill in the air today

Mick,


That shouldn't really matter of the results are still coming though, no?? I know its awful boring but results trump performances anytime for me

Flying out early on Sunday, Mickado. I'll miss the Wales - South Africa game, which is a pisser, but there should be bars over there showing the other matches.

Qualification is the name of the game at this stage, even if it's dull to watch.

I suppose ye’re right about results trumping performances, I suppose I’m just annoyed because I’m not a football fan and for football to be bearable to me it has to be at least a little bit exciting. Even the long ball method used by the jackie’s army was better to watch than this.

I'll prove to my cheating husband I've been faithful.......then I want a divorce!!!



Jeremy Kyle, classic weekday telly, love it

Morning all,

Late night out last night drowning our sorrows at the end-of season prize giving, so I need . And for good measure .

We lost our final 15-7, a low scoring game in greasy conditions meant we were never going to make up for the -5 goal start* - especially since the replacement shooter who cost us the 5 goals hadn't played with the team before so the attack didn't quite gell. Millie our Welsh wing defence did get player of the day, and Chris our Scottish goal attack got player of the season. So 2 weeks off and back into the autumn season.


*players have to have turned out for at least 3 matches during the regular season to be qualified for the semis and finals. Ineligible fill-ins can play in the finals but teams get a 5 goal penalty for each one.

This is classic, woman want divorce, man has slept with woman's daughter and tried it in with the other daughter. Now man wants woman to do lie detector.

Classic Jeremy

I've been thinking about this, the results v performance thing. Looking at it rationally, yes, the result is all that matters; but none of us is rational when it comes to sport, and to rugby in particular. What if France won the World Cup but played a flair-free, fundamentally un-French game in the process ? That just wouldn't be right, would it? The manner of victory is important too, even though the victory is the prime objective.

https://www.606v2.com/t13316-maul-tackling#443897

A Wednesday morning article. Was looking at a lot of examples of this at ref meeting last night. Though a short article would be good.

Interesting read here. Nice to see Ireland level pegging with the AB's for once!

http://www.rugby365.com/tournaments/rwc/news/2780664.htm

luckless_pedestrian wrote:I've been thinking about this, the results v performance thing. Looking at it rationally, yes, the result is all that matters; but none of us is rational when it comes to sport, and to rugby in particular. What if France won the World Cup but played a flair-free, fundamentally un-French game in the process ? That just wouldn't be right, would it? The manner of victory is important too, even though the victory is the prime objective.

That would matter to you Luckless, but I promise you no one in France would care less. "uuuuugggghhhh wwweeeeee wwwwoooonnnn zzzeeeeee Worrld Kup, mais we zid not do it in ze French way. Puhh Zend it back"

Nah don't think so

hughie1986 wrote:

luckless_pedestrian wrote:I've been thinking about this, the results v performance thing. Looking at it rationally, yes, the result is all that matters; but none of us is rational when it comes to sport, and to rugby in particular. What if France won the World Cup but played a flair-free, fundamentally un-French game in the process ? That just wouldn't be right, would it? The manner of victory is important too, even though the victory is the prime objective.

That would matter to you Luckless, but I promise you no one in France would care less. "uuuuugggghhhh wwweeeeee wwwwoooonnnn zzzeeeeee Worrld Kup, mais we zid not do it in ze French way. Puhh Zend it back"

Nah don't think so

I think if any country would turn their nose up at a world cup because they won it the "wrong way" it would be the French.

Agree with Hugh. Its about the result. Luckless without being condescending or patronising I would say that your "you have to play with style" approach has been a massive thorn in the side of the Welsh for a while who are still all being compared to Barry John and Gareth Edwards. Since when is winning not enough.

I wouldn't care less if we won every game in the World Cup 3-0 playing like a bag of demented rabbits chasing a lorry full of lettuce


It's all about results. Results are all that matter