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 collage of great current hookers pictures on the bar. We've got Tincu, Ledesma, Ford, Best, Thompson and Bennett all in action. Graffiti's a banning offence

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




Previous pub: https://www.606v2.com/t13864-the-dew-drop-inn-virtual-rugby-pub#475041

red_stag wrote:Its sad MrsP but I reckon there is just the same amount who trot out the lines about Declan Kidney picking all his old Munster favourites or how Leinster players are picked undeservedly etc.

Its not limited to Ulster at all.

It's not, but I haven't heard a player from the Southern 26 counties of this island described as a token player before. It's VERY similar to the debate in South Africa about racial quotas in selection. Except, thank god, we don't have quotas. We don't have divisions. One team for everyone- let it stay that way.

Some don't understand that Notch. A pal of mine - very casual rugby fan - was actually very angry about why we don't use the Irish flag or sing the national anthem.

His solution was to have both N.Ireland and Rep.Ireland flags flying with the Tricolour as main flag. And the IRFU taking on the IRB for right to sing two anthems and to walk off and ignore the hakas that the Pacific Islanders and New Zealand do if this is not granted as a point of principle (them being allowed a haka and an anthem and we not).

It may not be limited to Ulster but it is a different sort of prejudice against Ulster.

I don't think anyone would ever say that Sean Cronin was a "token" but we have all heard that said of Paddy Wallace, Andrew Trimble and Rory Best.

Just makes me sad.

Rev,

<cough>Illegal lineout<cough>

Its just a different form of the lack of unity that I am really feeling more and more with Ireland since winning Grand Slam.

I watched game amongst a massive ex-pat community in London - hundreds of Aussies and Irish who live there and both sets of fans were just cheering on - there was so little tribalism.

Hopefully there are enough of us Ireland fans to more than compensate Stag!

They do do that though. They fly both flags- the flag they use for Ulster is the yellow flag.

Here's the thing, Northern Ireland has no officially recognised flag or anthem. So what can the IRFU do? Scotland, England and Wales all have their own flags but Northern Ireland hasn't since the 1970s. The only officially recognised flag is the Union Jack and I don't believe that should be flown as it's a flag for the whole UK not just NI. I also don't believe God Save The Queen should be sung at Ireland games (even though it was in Belfast until the 1950s).

How would your friend react if we replaced Ireland's Call with Amhran bna Fiann AND God Save The Queen? Which anthem is sung first? Someone is going to cause a stink either way. What if the crowd in Dublin reacts badly to GSTQ? It's a whole nest of issues the IRFU just doesn't want to get into because what it will do is bring politics into rugby. And that's the last thing they want.

The famous story is that the last time God Save The Queen was played as the home anthem of an Ireland team, the Southern players refused to leave the changing shed at Ravenhill until it was over. I've no idea if thats true- but imagine that happening at the RWC like! All the team spirit that exists, last thing we need is something like that!

This kind of in-fighting is only going to get worse when we knock you out at the quarter-final stage...

What we need as Ireland fans, as Irish men and women, is to stand together. Plenty of other people out there wanting to knock us and our team without us doing the job for them. Shoulder to Shoulder.

Exactly Notch!

I don't think I know a single Ulster fan who would want GSTQ played at Ireland games.

Terrible thought.

I do wish I had a flag that I could wave at sporting events etc without causing offence. Even the provincial flag would annoy some so I just dont bother.

Flags are such a divisive issue here. I don't think my kids even know which flag is supposed to represent what or who and long may that continue.

MrsP wrote:I don't think I know a single Ulster fan who would want GSTQ played at Ireland games.

Terrible thought.

Me neither. I was VERY opposed when the stirrers on that side were demanding that it be played at Ireland vs Italy at Ravenhill in 2007. I think it would be incredibly negative for the image of rugby in Northern Ireland which should aspire to being a sport open to everyone regardless of political beliefs or allegiances.

But, ultimately, we can't go down the opposite road and just have Amhran bna Fiann if the whole country isn't behind it. Bear in mind in rugby, the country has 32 counties.

MrsP wrote:I don't think I know a single Ulster fan who would want GSTQ played at Ireland games.

I think its a great idea. If you count Bowe and Murphy as ex pats then it's representative of maybe a 3rd of the team.

Tommy Bowe would LOVE that!

Afternoon all.

long time now chatski... looks like a good aul debate going on up above..

I literally haven't been in much at all. but our band season finished in the UK the weekend so my life has just been returned to me and this makes me happy

luckless_pedestrian wrote:This kind of in-fighting is only going to get worse when we knock you out at the quarter-final stage...

Cheers Rev

The Dublin politician who suggested we bin Irelands call in favour of Amhrán na bhFiann has an agenda. His great grandfather wrote (or translated) it. He should be given as much airplay as he deserves, which is feic all. It’s clearly a bad idea. Lets not allow some dopey comment by Stag’s granddad’s neighbour turn into the flag/anthem/political discussion. Some fools believe that there’s a quota of Ulster players in the team, we know better. These are the same fools that want a united Ireland but are too caught up in songs and bits of fabric to realise that there’s an united Ireland team playing on a world stage representing them!

My first broadband bill has come in. It says that it is £-41.75 and that I'm in credit. Can someone tell me does that mean I have to pay that?

Here's a question. How long have Ireland been called the "Golden Generation" I can't actually remember a time our team wasn't referred to as that.

How long have you been involved in brass bands, Micky T?

Mickado wrote:The Dublin politician who suggested we bin Irelands call in favour of Amhrán na bhFiann has an agenda. His great grandfather wrote (or translated) it. He should be given as much airplay as he deserves, which is feic all. It’s clearly a bad idea. Lets not allow some dopey comment by Stag’s granddad’s neighbour turn into the flag/anthem/political discussion. Some fools believe that there’s a quota of Ulster players in the team, we know better. These are the same fools that want a united Ireland but are too caught up in songs and bits of fabric to realise that there’s an united Ireland team playing on a world stage representing them!

Very well said.

Notch wrote:What we need as Ireland fans, as Irish men and women, is to stand together. Plenty of other people out there wanting to knock us and our team without us doing the job for them. Shoulder to Shoulder.

Notch, I think there's a song in those words somewhere - now all we need is a music grad to put a bonny tune to it?

Munsty,

How have arranged to pay?

If it is by direct debit then you do nothing!

Bikkies,



Come back down to earth yet?

MBTGOG wrote:My first broadband bill has come in. It says that it is £-41.75 and that I'm in credit. Can someone tell me does that mean I have to pay that?

No it means they owe you that amount ... Did they give you the first three months free ?

MrsP wrote:

Tommy Bowe would LOVE that!

Oops forgot to come back here...you's do know I wasn't actually being serious....

Yeah Rodders. I think we guessed!

Cymroglan wrote:

MBTGOG wrote:My first broadband bill has come in. It says that it is £-41.75 and that I'm in credit. Can someone tell me does that mean I have to pay that?

No it means they owe you that amount ... Did they give you the first three months free ?

So that means they'll have to pay me soon. They did give us that.

Asbo!!!!

Have you heard the type of music Notch listens to????

He'll have us all joining him in some experimental jazz ensemble using toys and car parts before each game!!!

It could last longer than the match if the mood took him!

Looks like you will get it free for another couple of months.

Still walking on sunshine MrsP. Never been as happy.

Must have sang "Dublin in the rare ould times" about 80 times on Sunday night. Apparently the win was worth 8million europes to the publicans in Dublin. That's a lot of wedge in this day and age!

Notch. have you ever seen stomp? really great way of showing how anything can be used as music.

MrsP wrote:Asbo!!!!

Have you heard the type of music Notch listens to????

He'll have us all joining him in some experimental jazz ensemble using toys and car parts before each game!!!

It could last longer than the match if the mood took him!

We are not doing a free form jazz exploration in front of a festival crowd!!

I'm finding it very disconcerting that people are already talking about a Wales v Ireland QF - we are neither of us out of our groups yet and both of potential banana skins to face!

I can't even tell you how many calls and e-mails I've received from Irish fans who suddenly want to go to Quarters, Semis and Final

Happy birthday cymroglan.

Hello other peeps

There was actually an opinion piece in this weeks Sunday Times saying how terrible it is that Ireland are prevented from hearing their anthem and expressing their national pride. Forgetting the million or so people in Ireland who don't see that song as their national anthem. It's a recurring theme of Irish history. Willfully forgetting/denying/underestimating/point blank ignoring the Unionist people of Ireland, and then expressing surprise if they're not happy with what we want to do.

I would have no problem if Amhran na bhFiann wasn't played at all at home games and we just had Irelands Call. Even though it's a bit crap. The rugby team is for the Island of Ireland, not just the Republic of Ireland. Rugby has nothing to do with politics as far as I'm concerened. But as it stands, the Ulster branch and Ulster fans don't seem to have a problem with it. So there's no point stirring up an argument for no reason.

I often hear some people say certain Ulster players are only there as a token Ulsterman. But they're nearly always older folk. And nearly always know little about rugby. They're just taking the old prejudices they were raised with, and applying them to the rugby team. There's also a lot of Irish fans from the Republic who LOVE Ferris, Trimble etc.

Rory Best seems to get the "token" thing a bit more. Maybe because the Fla was seen as the best hooker in Europe at one stage. When Best won his place as hooker first people got the impression he only did because of Flannery's injury problems. Then the lineout malfunctions didn't help him. But lets face it. No hooker in the World has played a better game at this tournament than the one Best played at the weekend. He was super.

Lads!!!

Irelands Call is sounding better by the minute! Even the terrible version they are playing at the RWC!

My fav rendition still has to be at the Churchill Cup when they played all 3 verses.

It was clear the players didn't know how many verses there were and having started to move around after verse 1 and again after verse 2 only to have to reform their line, after verse 3 they all stood tentatively looking around in case there was another one!

Thank you HH I shall have a glass of Babycham tonight

Thanks Cymro. I'll give it another few weeks or so before I find out about the money they owe me.

Personally I like Ireland's Call but too often there is such a half hearted attempt at performing it when we play away and even worse when we are at home.

Munsty - with regards to that you can ring them and get them to pay you the money, or they might just deduct it from what you owe off your next bill. So say if your bill was £50 they'd take the £41 (or whatever it is) off it and you'd only have to pay £9. My friend at work has been in a smiliar situation with her water bill, but she rang them to get them to pay her the money istead of taking it off the next bill.

We all sing it at the telly here!

Well, me and our youngest sing it and some of the others join in and some of the others look embarassed, but, I enjoy it!

I would not draw their attention to it if it's money owed to you just in case it's a error. Their automated system will just automatically give you another month or two free depending what your monthly bill is.

rugbydreamer wrote:Munsty - with regards to that you can ring them and get them to pay you the money, or they might just deduct it from what you owe off your next bill. So say if your bill was £50 they'd take the £41 (or whatever it is) off it and you'd only have to pay £9. My friend at work has been in a smiliar situation with her water bill, but she rang them to get them to pay her the money istead of taking it off the next bill.

They already have. Could do with that money. Might just ring them now so.

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

Notch wrote:What we need as Ireland fans, as Irish men and women, is to stand together. Plenty of other people out there wanting to knock us and our team without us doing the job for them. Shoulder to Shoulder.

Notch, I think there's a song in those words somewhere - now all we need is a music grad to put a bonny tune to it?

Indeed!

Actually, I don't mind Ireland's Call as a piece of music, what I most object to is (in order of seriousness);

1) The key change- not even just the key change, the sheer pop song cheesiness of it. What it is is a gear-shift; a shift of the piece up by one semitone at the end to add drama. This is a very hackneyed technique when used wrongly. It's become a by-word for lazy songwriting; add a gear-shift modulation at the end of the song to lengthen it and add an artificial sense of climax. You can hear it in the music of the Backstreet Boys, Billy Joel, Dolly Parton; these are not the influences I would personally invoke in trying to write a national anthem and be taken seriously.

South Africas new anthem has several key changes, but they are woven into the piece masterfully and feel entirely natural. It's the difference between skillfully blending a series of different colours on a canvas and letting a clumsy two year old at it with a paint roller.

2) The arrangement; this admittedly varies between performances, but all anthems NEED to have an orchestral/brass band arrangement to have the necessary gravitas. Pop arrangements in anthems- synthesisers, guitars, drum kit- are a sin by and large. Occasionally you get an amazing musician doing something truly unique and wonderful with an anthem in a different context. That's wonderful, but not appropriate for a pre-match singalong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa-q-ztyZZw&feature=fvst

Wonderful in the extreme; but not much of a way for 50000 fans to follow it! All too often I hear truly cringeworthy recordings of our anthem played at away grounds. Really awful pop arrangements. Worse than useless.

3) They went to PHIL COULTER. I bet when they were designing the AVIVA Stadium they went for the best, the best architects, the best builders. If the people in charge were not knowledgable about these areas they deferred to someone who did know and now we have a wonderful stadium. When it comes to music, don't go for a rookie, recent graduate or talented amateur. Don't go to someone who's best work is in a different context entirely to the context needed like Phil Coulter. If you as an IRFU board member don't understand music go to someone who does. Go to the best!

Cymroglan wrote:Thank you HH I shall have a glass of Babycham tonight

:

That's better

Munsty, I suspect it's a case that they've credited your account with the "free time" as £s, and as you haven't received the 3 months service yet then it hasn't been billed on the other side. Once those months come through the balance will zero off, and then you start paying regularly.

Most utility bills in this country are designed to match the supplier's accounting system rather than to be useful to the billee.

Okay got it sorted out. The way it worked was I paid £25 for the box and they gave me £50 in credit in return which will be used for bills and line rentals when they come in so I won't have to pay them until that is all gone.

Is 'billee' a word? If it isn't, it should be. It's ridiculous