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 John Hayes, Craig Gilroy,
Niall O'Connor, Ben Skirving and Jonny May above the bar!




Last Pub: https://www.606v2.com/t22243p950-the-dew-drop-inn-virtual-rugby-pub

They're all family.

Agnes is Brendan's sister. Kathy is his wife. Buster is their son. There are other family members involved as well.

Glas, they weren't as an accumulator so its not mega money. But he is still up quite a lot considering the small amounts he was better.

Gutted! There we are, it's very easy in hindsight. I get flummoxed by SG!

Winny you mean rava, that's who brendans sister. I love her as a character she reminds me of so much of my dads family. I think thats why I find it sp funny

Loads of Mrs Brown clips on here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqIEZCRjR_A&feature=related

I just don't find it funny I have to say. Maybe Ive not watched enough of it. Watched one episode found it rubbish.

Glas a du wrote:

Gibson wrote:

Glas a du wrote:

Man, I love that woman. 83 years and never ever said a bad word about anyone. Minds and forgives the Devils 1st (TF). Unreal.

Munster?

Dublin. 10 generations. And more. Ye Brits burnt the records on a 700 year Stag night, so I dont know quite how far the Dublin O' Beirne's go back really.
Thank you for asking though.

No! The devils I meant. Oh never mind...

Psyched? Ewe?

Love you looong time.

Has Lucky got Writers Droop or Brewers Block?

Glas a du wrote:WTF are Bishops doing overturning Commons decisions in the Lords? Is this The Middle feicin Ages?

Says the Magistrate for sheeps.

Gibbo and Glas and any other's lurking....have a on me......currently going back to my drama degree days with musicals!

hughie1986 wrote:Winny you mean rava, that's who brendans sister. I love her as a character she reminds me of so much of my dads family. I think thats why I find it sp funny

The best sitcom humour takes it from real life. Brendan O Connor knows that and uses it to the hilt.

Brits will love it. Paddies, in general - will hate it.

It not quite Father Ted is it?
But, its raw, its got live 3 stages and its in front of a studio-audience.

I admire Carroll for taking it all on. Major challenge accomplished.

Can do better. If given the chance.

Evening room for a little one at the back

Evening Kenny, shift up and I'll join you.

We could mix the with Prop's

Evening Swanny

I love a & ... poor mans black velvet

Gibson wrote:

Glas a du wrote:WTF are Bishops doing overturning Commons decisions in the Lords? Is this The Middle feicin Ages?

Says the Magistrate for sheeps.

Dutch sheeps ja! Crazy man!

Monty Python Mrs Brown ain't, but Monty Python ain't Mrs Brown neither, the posh feicers. In my day they'd have been drinking G & T's in de golf club and buggering each other in the locker rooms.

The rumour about the big announcement from Ulster coming tomorrow is meant to be regarding Jerome Kaino- so my Tommy Bowe guess was off.

A lot of local journalists confirming an 'exciting development' tomorrow, probably signing somebody.

""@GlenGraham2: - can u confirm that their is going to be a exciting development from ravenhill 2morrow?">Yes! Watch @bbcnewsline tomorrow!"

My curiosity is piqued.

My thoughts exactly Kenny! Stick a generous shot of vodka in there = potent. Hideous hangover though!

After all this build-up, I'm willing to bet it will be something incredibly mundane

Surprised Geoff hasn't been on talking about it, assuming it is Kaino. If you're right I fear it may spell the end for Willie Faloon at Ulster.

On the other hand development is such a funny word. It could just be we've opened talks which we knew already.

I sincerely doubt it will be that on reflection Willy. My guesses are;

1) Ravenhill re-development to go ahead.
2) New forwards coach.
3) New contracts for existing players.
4) Terblanche to stay until the end of the season?

Anyway I don't think it would either, given Kaino is a 6/8. It would the end for Diack. Our two 7s are Henry and Faloon. I'm strangely not mega-fussed on Kaino now Wilson is coming back. Obviously he would be an amazing signing but we should be endeavouring to supply some backrowers to Ireland now. It's about the balance between the big money overseas guys and the homegrown players. A backrow of Ferris, Henry, Wilson is all Irish and also pretty good.

Of course, the players we have behind them are not so great and depth is very much required in that area in order to compete so another NIQ backrow looks likely to come in- and a slot will be free with the departure of Wannenburg.

If I where a betting man I would take a punt on number 4. That was mentioned to me on Saturday after the game and it makes sense given the impact he's had on the team.

It would be fantastic news if he was to stay on a bit longer- couldn't speak highly enough about him. People use the term 'has-been'; I tell you he is still a genuinely class act.

Morning folks.


It'd be good if Ulster make an announcement about a new signing. It'll really show they are going in the right direction to genuinely become Irelands third best team

hughie1986 wrote:Morning folks.


It'd be good if Ulster make an announcement about a new signing. It'll really show they are going in the right direction to genuinely become Irelands third best team

Oh, I'm meeting a guy in town for 8. Does he not realise I'm a student. Well at least he's getting me breakfast!

It was number (1) on Notch's lost!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16693209

Morning all. How are we all today?

Three quarter-finalists, a semi-finalist, plus two rentals of the Aviva Stadium. So, why are the IRFU running the risk of destroying all of this with their rigid restrictions on foreign players?
EVEN BY the Heineken Cup’s high dramatic standards, this season’s tournament has been bookended by one of the most dramatic closing weekends in its history. Thanks in part should go to teams with supposedly nothing to play for, such as Connacht, Gloucester, Treviso and, it has to be said, Racing Metro.
Where would Irish rugby be without the provinces and the Heineken Cup in January, or Ireland full stop? Those provincial jerseys are sprinkled with magic, alright. Leinster continue to live up to the highest standards despite delving deeper into their squad and are helping to pull the others along.
Munster’s Tony McGahan is arguably the coach of the season so far for presiding over six wins from six, given they came up short last year, lost the likes of Doug Howlett, David Wallace, Felix Jones, Jerry Flannery and now Denis Leamy for the guts of the season, and are in such a transitional phase they blooded nine players in the Cup this season.
They couldn’t have done it without the totemic Ronan O’Gara and Paul O’Connell. That 43-phase, six-minute drive and O’Gara drop goal to beat Northampton on the opening weekend was the single most significant and memorable play of the season, and the day the baton was passed on.
On Saturday, Sky commentator Mark Robson was moved to apologise when their microphone picked up O’Connell’s parting mantra in the away dressingroom.
“F***ing character,” he shouted. It’s better to be in an army of sheep led by a Lion than in an army of Lions led by a sheep.
But Ulster will travel to Thomond Park in better shape than ever. Taking last season’s hard-earned home win over Bath and the 20-point beating in Biarritz as benchmarks, the way they destroyed Leicester and rattled Clermont’s cage last Saturday underlines as much.
The Union’s investment in the provinces has again yielded a minimum tranche of four bonus payments of €420,000 from the ERC for having three quarter-finalists and a semi-finalist, plus two rentals of the Aviva Stadium. So, why giveth with one hand and taketh away with the other? Or, why risk destroying all of this with their rigid restrictions on foreign players? Four winners in the last three years and now three quarter-finalists for the first time ever. We should enjoy this while it lasts, because these things are cyclical.
Two years ago, when Toulouse and Biarritz reached the final in Paris, some wrongly jumped to the conclusion this would presage an era of dominance from the cash-rich Top 14, ignoring the fact that only one side had reached a losing quarter-final the year before (inevitably Toulouse) and that both those finalists had benefited from “home” semi-finals.
But the Irish performances in the pool stages are no flash in the pan.
With Connacht punching above their weight in a ferociously tough group (to put their meetings with Toulouse in perspective, Connacht’s budget of less than €3 million is dwarfed by Toulouse’s €33 million, the biggest in Europe) to deservedly earn their first tournament win on Friday, the Irish won 16, drew one and lost seven of their 24 games for a winning ratio of 69 per cent.
Next up are the Scottish duo with a winning ratio of 64 per cent, followed by the Welsh on 59 per cent, then the English on 50 per cent, the French on 41 per cent and the Italians on nine per cent.
Collectively, the Celts have never had such a large contingent in the last eight, while England’s tally equals their all-time low of one set two years ago (and they only had two last season). Furthermore, none of Leicester, London Irish or Bath even earned the consolation of an Amlin Challenge Cup place, which used to be a Premiership carve-up, but not any more.
Cue inevitable bleatings from across the water. The die had barely been cast on the final round than Premiership Rugby’s CEO Mark McCafferty was, as usual, given unquestioning mouthpieces. He bemoaned the lack of relegation in the Pro12, where they can target European rugby more readily and generally qualify each year automatically.
Boo-hoo. Thus, he deduced with little Englander mentality, there should be eight teams each from their Premiership, the Top 14 and the Pro12. Aside from taking another step towards a glorified Anglo-French Cup (the pool stages would feature four English and four French derbies) it could banish one or even two countries entirely in a given year. That’s getting into the European spirit.
Relegation and the qualification rules didn’t stop England providing three quarter-finalists for five years running from 2005 to ’09, nor Wasps beating Leicester in an all-English final in ’07. Nothing’s changed.
Besides, both the Premiership and Top 14 generate far more revenue from television and sponsorship than the Pro12. English rugby would do better, as Gloucester’s head coach Bryan Redpath suggested on Sky, to look at its attritional, crash-test-dummy rugby as compared to the more adventurous Celts. Then again, Redpath is a Scot and, along with Harlequins, Gloucester are the most watchable team in England.
For sure the Celts do feel more inclined toward targeting European rugby, but that’s as much a question of priority (from supporters and media as well as players and coaches).
The English could also look at the greater stadia development amongst the Irish and Welsh. That said, the comparatively cash-strapped Welsh regions are struggling to fill their stadia, so this is very much an Irish-led Celtic assault.
The French are happy with the current format and as a World Cup season (Leicester have never progressed now in four World Cup seasons) it is something of an odd year. It took the spine away from the Biarritz team, for example. And with Perpignan in decline and Stade Français being relaunched by Michael Cheika, the French were not best represented. Furthermore, when they delve into their squads you can evidently see how far their general conditioning levels have fallen behind.
But, for all its wealth, foreign imports and benefactors, the Top 14 remains, a la the Premier League in England, something of a circus act which works against its national team. Nor do they have the same sense of culture and identity between fans and players who truly represent their regions.




CARE OF THE IRISH TIMES

Bore da pawb / good morning all. I was up until quarter to midnight last night typing up my match report and felt so tired when my alarm went off this morning. Eventually I got up and put the kettle on, then realised that it wasn't quarter to six but quarter to seven and I was running seriously late. Still, cycling to work in a torrential downpour is one hell of a way to wake yourself up!

hughie1986 wrote:The English could also look at the greater stadia development amongst the Irish and Welsh. That said, the comparatively cash-strapped Welsh regions are struggling to fill their stadia, so this is very much an Irish-led Celtic assault.

Absolutely. You won't catch me coat-tailing.

I see IRFU aren't happy with Muster. They want quarter at Lansdowne road not Thomond.

As a Munster fan, i am very worried about Ulster's trip. They have been playing some very good rugby and will be tough.

Agree with you Eirebilly

Poor IRFU, they're only getting 1 home QF this year. Feic off i say, if Lansdowne wasn't virtually on the door step of the RDS then i wouldn't be in favour of us moving our match there. But it is, we've played there before, it's our other home, thats grand for us. I respect Munster for telling them it's not going to happen though.

hughie1986 wrote: Leinster continue to live up to the highest standards despite delving deeper into their squad and are helping to pull the others along.

This i disagree with. Why are only Leinster living up to the higest standards and pulling the others along? Munster won all six of their games and some in style. Ulster came second in a very tough group and have played some very good rugby. Three different teams progressing in their own fashion, no-one is pulling anyone along.....

Mickado wrote:Poor IRFU, they're only getting 1 home QF this year. Feic off i say, if Lansdowne wasn't virtually on the door step of the RDS then i wouldn't be in favour of us moving our match there. But it is, we've played there before, it's our other home, thats grand for us. I respect Munster for telling them it's not going to happen though.

+1 munster have earned the right to play in TP and they would be mad not to play there. It's no odd to Leinster moving sure we play there that often that it makes mo difference what so ever

Notch wrote:I sincerely doubt it will be that on reflection Willy. My guesses are;

1) Ravenhill re-development to go ahead.
2) New forwards coach.
3) New contracts for existing players.
4) Terblanche to stay until the end of the season?

Knew about this. Couldn't say anything. Meeting on Wednesday

CARE OF THE IRISH TIMES

So they criticise a 'little Englander mentality' by adopting a parochial attitude of their own. Well done.

Glas a du wrote:

CARE OF THE IRISH TIMES

So they criticise a 'little Englander mentality' by adopting a parochial attitude of their own. Well done.

Its what us Irish do best Glas

Rava,

Not asking you to break any confidences but will there be much to announce that we don't already know?

There were some Planning issues that needed sorted, so they were reluctant to give any assurances but apparently full permission has been granted.
We have known for some time ours was the winning Tender but for obvious reasons we couldn't go public.
From a Practice point of view it couldn't have come at a better time.

We are also being interviewed today about the new Maternity Hospital at the Royal. So fingers crossed for that as well.

By the way my role in the Design Team is CDM Co-ordinator.

Huge Congratulations Rava!

That is brilliant news!



??CDM??

What is it that you are doing Rava?

Construction Design Management.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm/summary.htm

Okay Rava,

What we need you to do is design a wee "hidden" extra box into the new stand, a bit like a Priest Hole, that we can all make use of. On the half way line. With unobstructed views!

Okay???

You the man Rava! Have a on me...not before your interview though....

http://www.safetysignsupplies.co.uk/product/hard-hat-symbol~19548.html

Rav, brilliant news, delighted for you

Are you putting in extra wide doorways in case you beat Leicester again



(congratulations by the way, we are actually very proud of you, but obviously couldn't just say that )

And I need you to tell your lads to be very careful of the pitch.

I shovelled snow off that pitch and I don't want it damaged!