The Dew Drop Inn Virtual Rugby Pub, Belfast

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 pub has ventured to Belfast, as Red Stag is still struggling to come to terms with Munsters QF loss to Ulster

The only rule in this pub is one of mutual respect for everyone in it, oh and no defacing the pictures of Brian McLaughlin, John Hart, Duncan Bell, Michael Lynagh, Mick O'Driscoll, Deiniol Jones and Shane Williams.

Get well "Noddy" Lynagh - our thoughts are with you.





Old Pub: https://www.606v2.com/t27620-the-dew-drop-inn-virtual-beach-leileifiafiafale-samoa

Thomond wrote:Rav, it can't have been a good Refereeing performance, there' s Welsh side involved and Rolland so naturally he has been poor and clearly the Welshies were robbed. It's all to do with that Irish feicer Rolland who is now Irish but 8 months ago he was French.

I don't think the Scarlets played as well as they could but there were a few dubious refereeing decisions as well. That came from the Ospreys fan in the corner not from me, btw. It's difficult for games like this because there should really be a neutral referee.

At least the Scarlets have broken the duck of always losing to Munster, a draw is a step forward.

I'm with you Stag, the desire to throw the ball around. For me it's an impossibility though. What good is a prop who can't scrummage due to a bad back?

There should have definitely been a neutral referee. There should always be.

What stag and Mrs penfro said.

Mrs Penfro - well said!

My Osprey supporting father just kept saying "well well".

Glas a du wrote:I'm with you Stag, the desire to throw the ball around. For me it's an impossibility though. What good is a prop who can't scrummage due to a bad back?

Yea exactly. I could play but would have to play outside the scrum due to a previous neck injury. Just Limerick is such a goldfish bowl and going out playing would end up so much more of a nuisance.

I'd rather have a good ref than one from a neutral country.

There was a Scarlet's fan on another thread saying that rolland was poor but that he thought the Scarlets had less to complain about than Munster.

And can we please not talk about petrol bombs!

Having been on the wrong end, it's really not a thing to threaten!

It should be a neutral ref but I don't think a guy like Rolland lets it influence him.

I'd rather have a good ref who's also from a neutral country

Mrs P, it's not Roland's decisions that get me it's his approach. He gets my goat when he stops teams taking things quickly because he's not expecting it and isn't ready or he wants a word with someone: "at the first sign of rugby blow up".

MrsPenfro, Irish teams have had to play Welsh team with Welsh refs it happens. There aren't enough Scottish refs to go around.

I have no problem with anyone disliking a ref's style or even their ability but I don't think we should doubt their impartiality.

It's not really the WRU per sé. It's the Newport, Pontypool and District League (or something like that). Funny really as we aren't Newport or Pontypool district, but then neither are the league leaders Monmouth.

Stag, I love it but I also don't. Great to play alongside some of my friends again. Not good waking up on a Sunday as a body wreck

Anyway, really exhausted now. Night all.

That's one of my issues with Rolland as well Glas. My main gripe with him though is that he always appears as if he feels that it is him who should be the star of the show. The best referees are the ones that you don't notice.

Nigel isn't perfect, but at least he tries to let the game flow.

E.g. Webb takes a quick tap last night

Nigel "don't touch him" to people within 10 yards.

Shingles takes a quick tap

Roland blows up to talk to the Munster player, but gives no card - it could have waited.

Ozzy3213 wrote:That's one of my issues with Rolland as well Glas. My main gripe with him though is that he always appears as if he feels that it is him who should be the star of the show. The best referees are the ones that you don't notice.

Nigel Owens can be a bit like that. Referees are in a lose-lose situation, if they let the game "flow" then people wil give out about not penalising, then people give out about too much penalising. It's ridiculous.

Mrs P, I agree.

Ozzy, I think that's a product of their strict training regimes. 'I'm not going through all of this not to be noticed!'

red_stag wrote:Notch, I know nothing about the situation. I just saw that some "barsteward" deserved to get petrol bombed or something to that effect.

Bahrain is one of the states in the region destabilised by political dissent.. The movement started off entirely peacefully but when protesters expanded their agenda the government responded with violence against its own citizens. It became a full scale insurrection demanding democracy and an end to the monarchy and it was put down by martial law and brute force.

Now Formula One are having their Grand Prix there, despite pressure to cancel it. I guess it's sort of the opposite to how South Africa was treated during apartheid- the rugby community refused to endorse the Apartheid regime and the Springboks were excluded for many years, leading to pressure on the regime.

Unfortunately Formula 1 are more interested in money than the ordinary Bahraini.

Does anyone think Treviso will make things interesting tomorrow by beating Glasgow?

Nigel likes the sound of his own voice.

You can penalise without making a song and dance of it though T, that's my issue. As Glas highlights above with Rolland and Shingler, if you are not going to card someone and it's just going to be a word with a player, simply wait or the next natural break in play rather than slowing the game and making a show of yourself.

I agree with you a bit Ozzy. I love Nigel though, great character.

They are capable Mrs Penfro. However Glasgow are an impressive unit. Hogg is on fire. It will be interesting.

Thomond wrote:I agree with you a bit Ozzy. I love Nigel though, great character.

Have you told him? I can put a good word in if you want.

Spoiler:

I didn't realise the lyrics of that song are actually pretty deep, they are a fantastic group.

Glas a du wrote:They are capable Mrs Penfro. However Glasgow are an impressive unit. Hogg is on fire. It will be interesting.

I read that as,

".... Hoog is on fire!!!!"

I wondered how you could tell from there?

Nice change of subject!

The Hoog is always on fire Ma'am.

I'll have to take your word for that Glas!

biltongbek wrote:

Rava wrote:

biltongbek wrote:

Thomond wrote:I think people make too much of the referee. In general, the best side wins, the two were even tonight and it showed in the result.

Thomond, if I had the inclination or the energy I would find you plenty of matches where teams are evenly matched and a 50/50 call caused the result.

Does that make it a wrong call though??

Well let me put it this way, no supporter or team like to be on the recieving end of a call that isn't a clear offence. There is big money and big titles on the line.

Take Ferris in the Wales vs Ireland match, take SA in the 2010 Tri Nations match against Australiam take a forward pass in 2007.

You decide.

Biltong says it like it is. Its true.

I love Gibbo. Fact

No referee will ever effect that!!

Of course Vina Arroyo Malbec Barrel Aged Mendoza 2004 did have something to do with it.

Wow between morg and dreamer and Rav and Gibson theres a lot of love on here tonight.

One flew over the cuckoos nest on.Great movie.

Mrs Penfro wrote:I'd rather have a good ref who's also from a neutral country

Wouldn't we all. We've had all sorts this season but at the end of the day I've accepted that the man in the middle has tried his best. I don't like where fans have talked about bias etc. Referees aren't biased.

Rodders - that's one of my favourite films.

any writers about, put an article up for review if yous can take a look.

Thomond wrote:I think people make too much of the referee. In general, the best side wins, the two were even tonight and it showed in the result.

Bollox. The Irish ref dragged down a team who dared to play rugby. Cynicism over sex.

Munster always have been, and always will be - anti-rugby.

Whereas Leinster's style of play is indicative of the second coming.

Puh-lease all it took was a few saffers and we have 5 more tries than you in the league and we're 20 odd points behind.

Ulster are the real deal. Leinster are the proverbial lost prophets.

See you at Twickers.

Did you just show some pre-come there Willser?

Ulster will win nothing this year. But I will always love you.

Ulster have won respect gibbo, and hearts and minds.

That can't be quantified by an auld tin trophy.

But hey ho if we have to take that HEC trophy home then so be it.......

Gibson wrote:

Munster always have been, and always will be - anti-rugby.

Its getting a bit old now Gibbo, we know you dont like Munster but be a little more realistic

I think that i am in a grumpy mood today

Morning billy, morning all, seems like we might need some of these in here today:

Exeter have signed Dean Mumm from the Tahs for next season - with Shorty retiring from injury and Bentos from old age, we needed a big ugly enforcer type. He's only 28 but seems he's been around a long time on the international scene. Will give Addison Lockley and Will Carrick-Smith a chance to continue their development without getting mashed too early

biltongbek wrote:

Rava wrote:

biltongbek wrote:

Thomond wrote:I think people make too much of the referee. In general, the best side wins, the two were even tonight and it showed in the result.

Thomond, if I had the inclination or the energy I would find you plenty of matches where teams are evenly matched and a 50/50 call caused the result.

Does that make it a wrong call though??

Well let me put it this way, no supporter or team like to be on the recieving end of a call that isn't a clear offence. There is big money and big titles on the line.

Take Ferris in the Wales vs Ireland match, take SA in the 2010 Tri Nations match against Australian take a forward pass in 2007.

You decide.

Yes, it's like the "You're going Home, I have to live here" quote by Chris Bezendhouit 4th test SA versus NZ in 1976.

Visiting teams to the Republic are always going to be on the receiving end of dodgy refereeing decisions made within this mindset.
It happened again last night with the 'knock on try' in the Bulls-Brumbies match... hell, even Morkel stopped in his tracks.

Thank goodness the Chiefs won - the ref was going to let a blatant Sharks forward pass go 25 out from the posts. Lucky they knocked on - should have been a Chiefs penalty for offside according to the laws of the game.

Good luck to the Lions!

It's on for young & old on here....!

Wow, interesting conversation on the referee front. I know Stag will agree, but the best referee out there is Vinny Munro as you don't realise he's out there.

Something I've found is that a lot of new referees coming through really like to allow the game to go but it seems the more and more that they get "instructed" by the assessors, the more oppressive their refereeing style becomes.

I agree with Stag that the laws need to change as there really is far too much emphasis on the referee. But a big thing that I mentioned before is that players need to be castigated in the same manner as the referee maybe more as they are intentionally cheating.

Yet a good openside flanker is applauded for breaking the rules and getting away with it but the referee is condemned.

The hypocrisy is ridiculous.

Morning Asbo, i think i need many 's

Brisbane win the Grand Final 2-1 in the last minute of extra time... from a suspect penalty decision. Barishna fell like he'd been shot... the replay showed he was barely touched by the Perth defender

Interesting signing As, he doesn't seem to have many fans in Aus, but if there is any club to get the best out of a player, he is now at it.

How are you anyway?

Linebreaker,

Did you watch the Test match on Friday night?

MBTGOG wrote:Interesting signing As, he doesn't seem to have many fans in Aus, but if there is any club to get the best out of a player, he is now at it.

How are you anyway?

Linebreaker,

Did you watch the Test match on Friday night?

Munsty, I'm well thanks, same as always, pretty much. Getting a bit excited about your trip now?

Either myself or a colleague will be in Tanzania for the week starting on 28 May for maintenace on the power station at the airport. Will you be there then Munsty?