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 pub regulars. We've got the big group pic from the HEC final in Cardiff, plus insets of ll those who couldn't make it

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



Hen dafarn/Old pub: https://www.606v2.com/t15642p1000-the-dew-drop-inn-virtual-rugby-pub#576037

Headline in Welsh on front page of the Sun.

off to the stadium now.

Enjoy it all if you can.

Ymlaen Cymru

Enjoy RD

Haven't read back and we are too busy this morning to get to see the game in real time. We will have to watch in time lapse!

Wanted to wish all our Welsh friends the best for the game!

Come on Wales!!!!!!!

Cymru Abu!

So pumped up for this. At least I got back to sleep though. Whatever happens today, I'm so proud of this.

Gibbo, I saw you say about Welsh fans wanting Gatland's head. I don't agree with that as such, but I was a bit of a detractor. End of the day, my points have been vindicated a bit too with more Dragons being picked and people like Faletau and Priestland getting exposed earlier. It was also fair for us to want Wales to be more of an attacking threat.

Great piece on Shane there.

Thierry has that same look in his eyes he had last week. Ominous.

Co ni'n mynd! Yehah!

PenfroPete wrote:Sat here in my mates study in Auckland, still just under 7 hours to go before kick off and I am a wreck - hands shaking, gut tied in knots, thinking I'll be sick any moment. Will be heading out in a mo, so to all the Welsh regs (and those backing us) in the words of the pubs "Elder Statesman' - BELIEVE !!!

Morning all

Best of luck to the Welsh, Penfro, I hope you have a blast mate.

Come on Wales... I wouldn't mind seeing France out after a fairly pathetic group performance. Bu then, isn't that what knockout rugby is about- peaking at the right time? Should be a good one.

Uh-oh, Welsh co-commentator- bit concerned he's going to do a Vickery on it

Yea no sense of bias at all yet though. lolz

It's Michael Owen though. He has all the charisma of a brown paper bag.

Huge blow now with Bomb going off.

Morning all, c'mon Wales!

Adam Jones off is a big blow for Wales. Anyone see what happened?

He's just tweaked his calf Willy. France are looking very... absent. They haven't started well at all.

Has Jamie Roberts a black eye or has his eyeliner smudged?

Alright Owen; it's not just one of those things, it's a dangerous tackle and a penalty. And I agree with the yell- wait, a red card?

No, that was a yellow card offence. Not one of the most "controversial decisions in the World Cup" you Holly Wilaboobie. It was a yellow card offence. Red is an overreaction.

Oh Sam don't think you brought him down with care at all there. Wow Poopie off red card? Aww man. Sorry Wales. So sorry. Penalty nothing more. Aww Wales.

Wtf - never a red card. Yellow maybe because Warbs didn't 'put him down'. Can you imagine if McCaw was red carded for that?

Would take a brave man to red card McCaw in a world cup semi against Oz on NZ soil. Imagine if the tackle was on Cooper as well that would take the biscuit.

To be fair, the IRB has said a spear tackle should be a straight red card so there can't really be any complaints. I bet if these ITV commentators were working on the Lions tour in 2005 they'd be taking a different "editorial line".

But it would be a horrible way for Wales to go out now.

I'm not surprised to be honest. If he brought him down it would have been a yellow. I hear some knives sharpening!

Jesus, imagine losing your best two forwards in the first 20 minutes in a World Cup semi-final...

Was Alain speaking French there?

Point of interest notch. Who are our 2 best forwards?

Hook kicking like Sexton at the moment.

Charteris might have something to say about that Notch. His workrate and tackle count has been pretty great so far this world cup.

WillyGilly wrote:Was Alain speaking French there?

I'd like to hope so, yes, given thats part of the reason he gets these games! Not many totally bilingual top level referees about.

I'd say our top two forwards are Johan Muller and Stephen Ferris.

I meant from an Irish persepective. Wealth of talent. Difficult to pick your top 2 whereas with the welsh it's easier. Sam and Adam no question.

To be honest, Ireland doesn't matter until the spring now. We've had our chance and it's gone. They're back in Ireland now and will be joining up with their provinces soon. We'll wait and see who's in the team in the spring.

Hook needs to steady the ship not kick the ball away all the time! Here we go Stevo's coming on, good!!! Not saying WAles will win now as all the odds are stacked against them but at least Stephen should 'steady' things up

https://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=67132625664&topic=9546

This is the memo on spear tackles from 2009.

To summarise, the possible scenarios when a tackler horizontally lifts a player off the
ground:


The player is lifted and then forced or “speared” into the ground. A red card should be issued for this type of tackle.


The lifted player is dropped to the ground from a height with no regard to the player’s safety. A red card should be issued for this type of tackle.


For all other types of dangerous lifting tackles, it may be considered a penalty or yellow card is sufficient.

So have to say; fair play Alain Rolland. Maybe one of the refs can come in and clarify if there has been any change on that in the last two years?

Notch,they showed that as the current rule on RTE at half time so good on Rolland.

France starting to turn the screw now. We're really up against it. All they can do is keep at it and do their best, no-one can complain about that although they probably will!

Thomond wrote:Notch,they showed thst as the current rule on RTE at half time so good on Rolland.

Fair play, ITV have been disgraceful. They didn't even accept it was a penalty when it happened it real time. Keep on going on about injustice

That's one reason I watch it on S4C, yes they're pro-Wales but fair with it(!) They do think the red was harsh but agreed that it's the law.

Good vision by Jonesy there, now for the line-out....

Good vision by Jonesy there, now for the line-out.... OMG try for Wales! Maybe it's not all over then.

I'd quite like Wales to do it, because France have been comedically bad for a semi-finalist.

That's what will be so galling, France haven't really done anything. I hope I don't regret saying that!

Notch wrote:I'd quite like Wales to do it, because France have been comedically bad for a semi-finalist.

True. France being France they would probably be on fire come the final though!

Are the welsh fans singing country road take me home?

I don't doubt that unless Wales mount a comeback, which looks very possible, tomorrows game will decide the winner.

Sorry but Yachvilli has been pretty woeful and Parra isn't a 10. Wales shouldn't have mission here but for whatever reason they're playing better.

Put ti this way, Wales have played most of the match with 14 men, kicked 1 out of 4, have had a poor scrum and a creaky lineout. And France are still only one point ahead!

interesting looking piece of equipment! ~Great kick by Jonesy.

Yachvilli just did the same thing again!

Wales are trying too hard now. It could still go either way.

Yeah, they've been poor really. They haven't done much to deserve to be in the Final but then Warburton made a stupid mistake which seriously handicapped his team so...

Can't argue with that.

Shades of 2009 for Stephen Jones with this penalty. Similar position! Right on the edge of his range.

Aha, Halfpenny- the secret weapon.