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 pictures of Nigel Walker, Stephen Ferris, and Planet Rugby's team of the round above the bar!

Spoiler:

Last Pub: https://www.606v2.com/t21838p950-the-dew-drop-inn-virtual-rugby-pub#858890

The real one to watch is Gloucester vs Toulouse. Gloucester never lie down at home, Toulouse sometimes don't travel well in Europe. Hope they can do us a favour.

Oh. Thats a strong bond. I know about, and respect Trimble, for his beliefs and how he carries himself. He shines. But, didnae know about the rest.

So, its a an Ulster/Saffer Christian Protestant Coven then?

Hmmmm. Thats ominous for lots of reasons.

I'm still playing truant, Gibbo!!

What's the news?

Gibson wrote:Oh. Thats a strong bond. I know about, and respect Trimble, for his beliefs and how he carries himself. He shines. But, didnae know about the rest.

So, its a an Ulster/Saffer Christian Protestant Coven then?

Hmmmm. Thats ominous for lots of reasons.

Hahaha. I don't care what they believe if they deliver on the pitch. And sure, if they're all very godly well it's not a bad fella to have in your corner. Even a commited atheist like me might be asking for a favour on Saturday afternoon!

It's all in this article;

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/1203/1224308521989.html

Can't remember the last time we came into the final w/e of the HC with
1) only two teams definitely qualified
2) so many perms on all the other places
3) + Amlin places

Notch wrote:The real one to watch is Gloucester vs Toulouse. Gloucester never lie down at home, Toulouse sometimes don't travel well in Europe. Hope they can do us a favour.

True. More realistic. But Toulouse need pts yeah?

Glaws could certainly do it. Should have beaten Quins away.

This Cup is a head-phhhok, right down to the last ten mins, of the last games played.

I love it.

Yeah if Toulouse were through already I'd be happy they might take their eye off the ball. But they know they aren't there yet.

Gibson wrote:

This Cup is a head-phhhok, right down to the last ten mins, of the last games played.

I love it.

And the last pair of games is ...




Blues and Embra

Foregone conclusions Kia. If we don't get a favour tomorrow we need to get there on our own steam.

Of course, unless Quins get a TBP in Galway (not easy, even if the win is likely) a LBP will do given our superior try count.

If Ulster play with the same level of commitment they showed last week they must have a good chance of winning - I really believe that. If they do play like that and lose, then they will have lost to a team on the top of their game, and while pride will not helkp much, in the end it is better to lose saying we couldn't have given any more than the alternative.

My only worry for Ulster, as I said after last week is Can they repeat that performance?

KiaRose wrote:Can't remember the last time we came into the final w/e of the HC with
1) only two teams definitely qualified
2) so many perms on all the other places
3) + Amlin places

Its so healthy Kia. Its part of what makes it great.

Be honest, the lot of ye. An HC weekend is like a mini-Christmas ja?

Is for me.

It's just fitting in all the games, Gibbo - Saturday will be a nightmare.

Puppy is not yet an 80-minute dog!! And as for three games on the trot - don't make me laugh. So we watch the first (Leinster?); walk the dog; take supper out of the freezer (beef in yogurt with black pepper ) the sit down for the other two.

I won't be on here as I need to avoid catching the results.

A Day in the Life of Kia, Mel and Poppie.
XXX.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCUeia-nEio

P.S. Dont text me for reactions to the games before ya see em. I cant lie.

I won't have my phone near me, Gibbo. I get texts from oter people as well . Cryptic ones like "Did you see that?" "No I didn't cause I wasn't watching - stop sending me texts"

Anyway it'll be a cracking weekend

Thanks for the track.

reckon it's now bedtime - sleep tight

Oh by the way, the Oxford Uni Press have their sale on at the moment - lots of interesting books at very good prices ...

Yaay only 12 hours to the game tonight!

Christ I can't wait to go to sleep.

You better get to sleep Notch or Santa won't come.

Not likely man. Assignment due in five hours. Pretty much finished now though.

Bore da pawb / good morning all.

So the headline on the BBC sports page is that David Beckham wants to captain the Olympic football team. I'm not sure how that merits being the headline story.

Brand Beckham Lucky. Not the best footballer to grace the game but a media darling.

Olympics should be about the young players though. Not those at the end of their careers.

I see Chris Coleman is thoroughly against Welsh players representing Team GB.

Good morning by the way

Good luck with the submission Notch

Morning, Rava. That's just it, though - I can understand why Beckham was a media darling, but I can't understand why people still consider him to be newsworthy. He doesn't play for England any more and he plays in the MSL or whatever it's called, hardly one of the top leagues in the world.

Hi all on the boat to England as we speak.

Morning folks


So ive made a decision, I'm going to watch Leinster run I'm four tries in the first half tomorrow morning, head to the pub for pints watch the Fulham game back to the pub for pints after that. Leave my phone at home sky+ the games and watch them when I get in. Hopefully I can avoid finding out the results

Rava wrote:Good morning by the way

Good luck with the submission Notch

Yeah cheers Rava. I'm actually finished but waiting for the office to open so I can submit it.

I've been sitting here at my desk since 11am yesterday like, fairly hard core session.

Morning, Hughie and Notch.

On a boat from where, Stag? You haven't been in France this whole time, have you?

Morning all gents,

Happy Friday and happy European Rugby weekend (I modified that for you Luckless )

What a bollix getting to work this morning...I'd love to know the political motivation behind trying to blow up a tourist information centre... ..... .....feckers....

Interesting reading Gibsons comments about Ulster trying to buy success...its funny when the other provinces sign players no one bats an eye lid...and the fact that a lot of our best players are home grown seems to go unnoticed.

Hughie theres no way you'll be able get to pub and then home without finding out the score.

No lucky. I was at work Monday-Thursday. Today I'm on way to Holyhead and then heading down to Milton Keynes.

Are you taking the kids to the Munster game?

MrsP wrote:Are you taking the kids to the Munster game?

Yea they're playing the East Midlands county team in the morning and then watching Saints v Munster in the evening.

So you're actually on a boat to Wales as we speak then, Stag.

Speaking of 'European' rugby, I'm covering the Dragons' match on Saturday for 606v2, press pass and everything. I'm looking forward to it.

Wow! To both Stag and Lucky!!!

The kids (what age are they?) will love that.

Lucky!!!

Will you be Hobnobbing in the press box 'n all?

Fair play Lucky on the Dragons gig. Yea on route to Wales. Cos Im headed to England I forget the port is in Wales.

MrsP - kids are 16-17 years old.

Yes Mrs P, and I'll get to go to the post-match press conference too. I'm a bit nervous about it but excited more than anything.

roddersm wrote:Interesting reading Gibsons comments about Ulster trying to buy success...its funny when the other provinces sign players no one bats an eye lid...and the fact that a lot of our best players are home grown seems to go unnoticed.

It's good as well though, because if they were all perfectly nice all the time it would be a feckin struggle to find things to get offended about.

I think the reason being that Ulster are becoming dependent on their foreign legion where as that was never the case for Munster/Leinster. Munster kept had Freddy Puccariello as a backup for years. Christian Cullen derprived us of a NIQ place for years - he was on the books but injured.

When we won the HEC we had 13 Irish men starting. When we won the HEC the second time we had 12 Irish men starting. Leinsters foreigners are merely backup just in case the Irish lads can't do well like van der Merwe, Matt Berquist, Clint Newlands and Sykes.

Apart from Ferris, Ulster best players are Pienaar, Afoa, Muller and Wannenburg. Danielli has been a staple of the Ulster team for many years. Rather than going local they drafted in Stefan Terblanche and Jared Payne is on the books too.

You can understand why people view Ulster this way. They are so reliant on non Irish talent.

Leinster....Nacewa and Elsom

Munster....BJ and Howlett

We have our weaknesses at prop right now of course. However Munster has contributed PLENTY of props in recent years - Mike Ross, Tony Buckley, Marcus Horan and John Hayes to name a few. This has led to a cooling off period but we will be aiming for Botha to teach Archer, Condon, Ryan and Darragh Hurley.

Elsom was an 11 month signing.

Morning all, just had to blame the trains for being 10 mins late to work - I was in Paddington at 8am for my job interview. Touch wood, I think it went OK.

fingers crossed it went well for you Kiwi

Bore da pawb. Still absolutely shattered, am so glad it's pretty much the weekend. Feel like I could sleep for 2 days solid.

Elsom was indeed a short term contract but he made an absolutely huge difference. Do you think Leinster would have won that first HEC without him?

There were also Dr Phil and Hynes!

Ulster have contributed well to the front row too. Don't forget Simon Best!

Morning all!! Hope the interview went well Kiwi nice morning swim and now a short day at work.....missing the Glos match tonight though boo!!

Is this in bad taste?

A man phones an Airfix model shop and asks:
"Do you have a model of an Italian cruise liner"?
"Yes, we have just one left"
"Can you put it on one side for me"?

red_stag wrote:
When we won the HEC we had 13 Irish men starting. When we won the HEC the second time we had 12 Irish men starting. Leinsters foreigners are merely backup just in case the Irish lads can't do well like van der Merwe, Matt Berquist, Clint Newlands and Sykes.

Apart from Ferris, Ulster best players are Pienaar, Afoa, Muller and Wannenburg. Danielli has been a staple of the Ulster team for many years. Rather than going local they drafted in Stefan Terblanche and Jared Payne is on the books too.

You can understand why people view Ulster this way. They are so reliant on non Irish talent.

...and if you win it again you'll probably have 11 Irish men starting.

Sorry but that second paragraph is just ill informed rhetoric. Ulsters best player this season by a distance has been Chris Henry followed by Ferris, Cave, tuohy and Paul Marshall. Pieenaar, Afoa and Muller are absolutely key players for Ulster and Pedrie has been ever present but so are the likes of Best, Trimble, Court and the other guys mentioned above. For all the stick IHumph gets he's been the architect of as many victories as Pienaar in the past two seasons.

Danielli has hardly played this season and has fallen behind Gilroy, Whitten and D'arcy in the pecking order.

If Kaino was linked with Munster I think the reaction from people would be a lot more positive I think.

red_stag wrote:Elsom was an 11 month signing.

Aye twice as long a contract as Terblanche and less than half the bleating.

Thats probably because Musnter only have du Preez, Botha, Borlase, Mafi and Howlett on the books. 4 NIQ + 1 Project

Ulster have Afoa, Muller, Wannenberg, Pienaar, Payne, Terblanche and Danielli. I count 6 NIQ + 1 Project.

And Ulster always seem to have this conveyour belt of foreigner born playres they buy in as established adults rather than develop - Robbie Diack, Isaac Boss, Tom Court, Adam Darcy, Dan Tuohy.

You can surely understand that from outside looking in to some people Ulster merely seems a gathering of foreign players with a spattering of local players.

P.S. I know that Boss and Court call on the Granny rule but the fact remains the moved to Ireland as adults to play rugby. I like both players and do not begrudge them playing for Ireland whatsoever.

But they are not Ulstermen.

Whereas Munster trained Felix Jones, Rhys Ruddock, Ian Keatley from their infant days????

Terblanche is only there because Payne is out therefore it is still 5 + 1, Chambers has just left and Laulua is about to sign. You should be a politician stag