The Dew Drop Inn Virtual HEC Final Rugby Pub, Twickenham

First topic message reminder :

Chin chin and 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 arrived in London this week for the Heineken Cup final so has stocked up on cucumber sandwiches ( - KRD ) and Pimms.

The only rule in this pub is one of mutual respect for everyone in it, oh and no defacing the pictures of Ruan Pienaar, Stephen Ferris, Jonathon Sexton, Rob Kearney and Jonny Wilkinson (the five nominees for the ERC Player of the Year award), Nigel Owens the HEC final referee or Adam Powell (captain of Llanelli RFC who are playing Ponty in the Welsh club final on Friday). The CCTV snaps of Prop_Lyd and the other Cardiff Saracens players on tour in Croatia are fair game though.



Old Pub: https://www.606v2.com/t28922p950-barrel-s-dew-drop-inn-virtual-rugby-pub-restaurant-luderitz#1218292

Bore da/morning all, just on the train on the way into work. Doubt I'll get in here much today. I hear my new boss is really strict on internet usage...

biltongbek wrote:It is freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezing here in Jo'burg today, 2degrees, how does one live in this cold?

Take the Aran Jumpers out of Micks head and put them on

Mickado wrote:Sounds tropical to me Bil!

no mate, here by us 2 degrees are a rare occurence, and even then only in end of June or early July.
I like my winters here between 12-16 degrees.

rugbydreamer wrote:Bore da/morning all, just on the train on the way into work. Doubt I'll get in here much today. I hear my new boss is really strict on internet usage...

Yea!! Good luck with that one Dreamer. Surprise him with a nice cuppa though, he mightn't be the ogre you are expecting.

Met Eireann are predicting temperatures to SOAR into the early 20’s this week in Ireland.

If we get 20 degrees two days in a row, the country will shut down. Hard to believe that 12 degrees is a winter norm although we had 14 on Christmas day last year, it was -6 the year before.

The absolute coldest I have ever experienced in my life, was a good few years back on a motorcycle at 3 in the morning, it was -3 degrees. and that was just going through a dip, it lasted all of 2 seconds.

Barely made it home.

Morning all. In work and sporting my Ballymoney RFC tie. Risca RFC Centenary tie to be worn later in the week.

Cheers fellas, and to for the hip flask.

Hey, what happened to viewfromthegym's thread in the International section?

I moved it, there has been far too many of these threads over the weekend, and it will only incite trouble.

I am tired of being told to moderate, so now I will.

Morning, amigos! Great weekend, great match, great result, GREAT friends - it was epic. After the match, I was looking for my bro and GF in the bus queue when - out of the 80,000 folk there - who should I bump into but Gibbo - by his own admission p!ssed as a newt. It was decided to give the maaaasive bus queue a miss (probably a wrong call) and set out for Richmond on foot. By halfway I was having to frogmarch Gibbo as he tried to flag down cabs, buses, random cars etc - he was nearly sober by the time we got back to the Triple Crown!! Can't not believe they had run out of all beer except Guiness and only had 2 bar staff on, but I think we still had a better experience than if we had gone to The Sun. Felt bad about leaving Gibbo there by himself but glad to hear that he finally managed to catch up with the main party. Back to Horley and straight to Bert's local for a couple more drinkies, then just managed to order takeaway curry before all outlets shut up shop for the night. Arrived in wee heeland hame early evening yesterday and sat down to watch the match with a couple of glasses of fermented grape juice. It was grand to see/meet everyone who was there, can't wait for the next one!

Gibbo????



With drink taken?

After a HEC final?

No! There nust be some mistake!

Ok, fair enough Biltong. It had the potential to go very bad

Hows the dog MrsP?

She came home full of beans. So much better than yesterday. I knew she still wasn't great when I phoned last night and they said she was settled and behaving!!!! When I rang this morning they said she had pulled her drip out in the middle of the night and I knew she was on the mend! She has exhausted herself now though so she is having a wee doze.

Was rotten seeing her poorly yesterday.

What did she have?

Biltong, a couple of winters ago it did nor get above freezing for 5-6 weeks, and that was in London. It was worse the further north you went.

eirebilly wrote:What did she have?

William,

You had an acute digestive disorder! After a couple of hours of that she was looking not great so we took her in to get fluids etc. She is a Setter Cross so might be prone to "Bloat" and we weren't going to take the chance.

In hind sight I suspect we shouldn't have let her watch the rugby with us on Saturday.

She clearly couldn't stomach that result!

Thats no good MrsP. Glad that she will be fine.

Just a little inside scoop here, there may be more issues with the rig on the North Sea that was leaking Gas...

Morning all...
That sounds a bit chilly for me BB. It's cool in the mornings here but below freezing inland overnight. It probably doesn't get below 5 or 6 near the coast.

Had a great kick of the ball(s) yesterday. I found this great oval. Huge... Aussie rules size with posts, soccer and rugby fields across it... with posts.

It was a case of mind over matter but after about 3/4 hour the legs felt knackered. I did a mixture of soccer shots, (corners, volley from outside the box,etc) garyowens and catch, drop goals (was dragging them at first but hit them straighter when I found my legs) and AFL style set shots from c.35-40m... and a bit closer on an angle. Perfect conditions, but the ground was slightly dodgy in places.

I haven't played for around 25 years, I played touch rugby up until the late 90s but stopped after people dropped out. Then I broke my leg in '07.... so it was like getting back on the horse for a while there. Although there's that feeling of "I'll never be as good as I was",... "'Eee'l never play international standard,..." or anything, ...it was a hugely uplifting experience.

One shot hit the corner of the goal (soccer) and ricocheted up.... hit a branch with a kookaburra on it (it was watching me) then bounced down and hit the fence, then back up into the lower branches again. It then bobbled away into this area of dead branches and I had to be careful not to tread on tiny lizards. Later on with the rugby ball, there was another kookaburra on another set of posts. My kick veered wide and sailed past my buddy for a behind.

You should have seen the look of disgust on the birds face.
Oh, and I think there's a rabbit problem nearby...

MrsP - Glad your dog's back from his overnight stay and all's well again. Don't spoil him now

A real woman is a man's best friend.
She will never stand him up and never let him down.

She will reassure him when he feels insecure and comfort him
after a bad day.

She will inspire him to do things he never thought he could do, to
live without fear and forget regret.

She will enable him to express his deepest emotions and give in to
his most intimate desires.

She will make sure he always feels as though he's the most
handsome man in the room and will enable him to be the most confident,
sexy, seductive and invincible...

No wait...Sorry.

I'm thinking of whisky. It's whisky that does all that .
Never mind.

Morning all

Thanks Linebreaker!

I bet you are sore today, no?

Our lovely dog is a "she" like almost all the other occupants of the house. Only males are Mr and Master P unless you include Tigger and Winnie!

And I intend to spoil her rotten!

MrsP wrote:Thanks Linebreaker!

I bet you are sore today, no?

Our lovely dog is a "she" like almost all the other occupants of the house. Only males are Mr and Master P unless you include Tigger and Winnie!

And I intend to spoil her rotten!

Sorry... "She"

Don't ask!
I felt my iliotibial bands get a workout, and a bit sore today. Thanks for asking.
Why don't you take her to the park for a kick around & chase the ball too?

And some of your special Ulster treats later, no?

We have done a wee bit of ball chasing in the garden but I think she needs a quiet day today.

If this sun shine keeps up she can enjoy lying on the step in the sun.

Sounds wonderful... nice to be out in the sun.

Bulldogs leading the Sharks 24-0 at HT. They're playing all over them.
Monday night here...

Gibbo took the soup in Asbo's yeaterday

No Madigan in the Ireland team to tour New Zealand. ROG in though, thank god.

Was Madigan unlucky to miss out do you think, Kado?

The weather is back to normal, now 16 degrees, dzon't know what happened this morning, some damn eskimomust have left the freezer door open until his wife wacked him in the snozzle

Yeah, I think he’s comfortably been Irelands second best 10 this season and was my shout for the 10 spot in the Pro12 team of the year (7 tries and 7 assists from outhalf is not bad at all!).

Last minute drop goal heroics aside (they just require bottle, nothing else) ROG has done exactly feic all this season.

I reckon they should have taken him along for the experience. Is ROG regarded as the 'safe option' do you think?
I'd pick the form player or at least have him there in the squad.

I'm not going Internet warrior over the Ireland squad but there are some things I just don't understand.

One thing is why we have a number of players in the squad for the Barbarians not named; obviously that was always going to be the case but why not hold off naming this squad until after that game? Surely there are a number of guys who will be togging out against the BaaBaas who know that they'll have no further involvement this summer; if they were fighting for a place on the touring party, we'd have a more motivated side? What happens if one of the lads who's been left out has a blinder against the Barbarians?

I'm confused as to why they say Chris Henry is in line for a backrow spot, but is named in the Barbarians squad. Is it because he's not fit? Then why is he in the squad for the Barbarians? Whats going on with Tom Court/Brett Wilkinson? Court is in the squad for the Barbarians and Wilkinson isn't, but they say Wilkinson is in to cover the absent Tom Court... Court injured? Dropped? Why name a squad with 4 vacancies- why not just wait a week?

Maybe it's my tiny overtaxed mind, but not much is making sense here.

Mick, I suspect Madigan will tour. They named a squad with only 2 players out of 29 capable of playing at #10. They don't even have Paddy Wallace.

I reckon we will see Madigan named as one of the AN Other positions.

I read it as the AN Other players were all forwards. Hope you're right Stag.

No McLaughlin in there, ah it's not even worth talking about at this stage.

MickyT has procured tickets for next years final. So we'll be there come rain or shine or Munster fightback

Okay, so it seems Tom Court broke his thumb.

Stag it looks like the last positing in the backs is being held for Isaac Boss, not another outhalf. We're waiting on the fitness of Chris Henry, Paul O'Connell, Isaac Boss and Brett Wilkinson. So you can sort of write those names in in pencil.

The selection of ROG and DOC is a bit pointless. ROG guaranteed to be in the 22 as well.

Why not just bring Madigan anyway? If there is a knock to Sexton or ROG in training he or someone else will be flying out to NZ in any event.

Saw the boys at Whiff of Cordite tweet that the unluckiest trio is McLaughlin, Gilroy and Madigan and I agree. Hope the omission of Wallace signals the move of Brian O'Driscoll to 12.

Kind of glad Paddy Wallace isn't named, at this stage of his career he can focus on Ulster and he's been playing well for us. Next season our outhalves are Paddy Jackson and Niall O'Connor so we need his experience in that backline.

He'll be available from the start of next season along with Tom Court and Tommy Bowe so hopefully we should avoid another poor start.

Yeah Gilroy is very unlucky. I think Zebo, D Kearney and Gilroy are often talked about in the same breath but for me Gilroy is the best player by quite a bit.

Right now, I'd be thinking Trimble is at risk of being relegated to the Ulster bench because Gilroy continues to grow in stature whilst Trimbys old mate Tommy Bowe is coming back... Gilroy has outshone Trimble in recent weeks.

I have tickets purchased for next years final. Four available on a first come basis. PM me if you want one.

PM Rava

Great to have that option now Notch. And Adam Darcy could play wing in a pinch for ya.

Indeed, actually would prefer to see Chris Cochrane as our fourth- excellent young winger, scored our try at the RDS this year.

red_stag wrote:PM Rava

Sorted Stag

Is McKinney staying or going?

I've lost track. I think he was going but is that still happening?

MrsP wrote:Is McKinney staying or going?

I've lost track. I think he was going but is that still happening?

Going to Rotherham for two years. Planning to come back to Ulster after that.

I thought he was away just wondered if iHumph's departure might change that.

I wish it had!

It's another seemingly random selection from the one thing stopping the Irish team from playing a bit of rugby. Zebo goes, Gilroy stays at home? ROG goes at all? McLaughlin left at home?
I mean every one of those I list makes me sound more and more like Victor Meldrew, I seriously cannot believe it!!!!!

Oh and as for player management, can Stevie Ferris please have a rest so he can play for Ulster next season? Or will the IRFU allow us an extra NIQ to cover for the fact he'll only have one leg left

ROG shouldn't be in that squad, I don't even want him starting for Munster next season. Alright with Zebo, all the wingers have flaws in their games at the moment, so there's not a lot between them.

PM for Rava

Hello all. Absolutely great weekend. Lovely to meet some old friends and some who will hopefully become new friends

ASBO - you sir are a gentleman, and such a lovely family. I believe, as they say around these "Hibernocentric" parts, your are a LIGIND

MRSP - great news about Master P, hope he's fit for the Irish meet and lovely news about the dog

DREAMER - any Poopie from your new boss tell him you'll get Cherie Blair onto him as he's infringing your "human rights"