The Dew Drop Inn Virtual Rugby Pub, Jedburgh

First topic message reminder :

Sláinte 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 made it's way to Jedburgh, home of Greig Laidlaw who kicked the winning points for Scotland on Tuesday night.

The only rule in this pub is one of mutual respect for everyone in it, oh and no tampering with the pictures of all of the June Internationals debutants hanging over the bar.

Old pub: https://www.606v2.com/t30214p1000-the-dew-drop-inn-virtual-rugby-pub-sixmilebridge#1286837

Then they got pinged Lucky! Sounds like Farrell's not having a good day.

Fitzpatrick did a great job in the scrums, lineout was solid, only lost one (think it was a crooked). Ireland were well in it for the first 25/30 minutes. NZ stepped it up a bit after that.


SOB was superb but in a great performance at the breakdown and made a shedload of tackles (18 I think). Heaslip and POM were alright, POM cause some disruption at the brekadown an area where Ireland enjoyed dominance for most of the first half. Ireland made 2/3 mistakes in defence and were punished with Savea's 3 tries. Some poor decision making and positioning. Our attack was poor, Murray's pass was inaccurate, his service looked decent at the start but got slower as the game got on. Reddan needs to start despite what Murray gives us in defence. McFadden was poor, Zebo got caught out afew times but looked decent going forward, BOD/Earls weren't great they didn't seem to communicate well. Kearney got isolated in contact and didn't make many yards.

Irish MOTM: SOB

Thomond - fair play to McFadden he did a good run down the pitch....shame he hadn't heard the referee

There's something deeply fascinating about South Africa as a rugby-playing nation. I noticed it first when the Lions toured the Republic in 1997.

I may have thought the England match was going to kick off at 4:30....oops!


Good luck to the England regs and to Biltong

Aye in fairness Mrs P there were some really good individual performances.... SOB particularly but also Bestie, Ryan, Heaslip, Healy.... Fitzpatrick did brilliant while he was on and the scrum fell apart after he went off. I though Zebo and BOD did ok but other don't.

Too many knock ons and poor descisions in attack and the ABs pretty much tore us apart. McFadden in particular was very poor in defence and at fault for 3 of the tries.

We started well enough but became more and more predictable in attack as the game went on and didn't really trouble the AB's much.

To be honest the scoreline flattered us as they could have scored more.

McFadden was pretty bad all round though. Being quick doesn't make you a winger- although it did help for our one try. I don't want to get into the blame game though. Could be here all day...

Lucky, for the past three years our attacking gameplan has been to not have players on the shoulder. We take contact, ruck, recycle. We try and build pressure through accumulation of phases. If there's an offload from a back to a back it's an off the cuff thing, not planned. I know what you'll say to that, no need to reply. It's backwards; out of date tactics for how to attack teams. It's been out of date since 2010 so it shouldn't be news. But our old dog coaches have been out of tricks for that exact length of time.

What's great about the fact we try and build pressure through going through phase after phase is our 9 is a slow decision maker and we don't generate enough quick ball for him to use anyway. But don't worry, it's not dispiriting seeing tactics you were criticising in 2010 continuing in 2012. Sure, we'll give it a lash, yerra, the fighting Irish, moral victories...

Notch wrote:

Man I needed that earlier!

rodders, theres a year left of this coaching regime- suggest the mods take a good look at this page.

http://photobucket.com/images/suicide%20emoticon/

Notch, you could probably do without me commenting on Deccie's half-back substitutions, then!

For me, as someone who played the game at school level - outside half until everyone else grew, then stuck out on the left wing - the game is simple. You strive to win the ball, by fair means or foul; and then it's a simple case of what you do with it. I don't advocate gung-ho running-it-from-everywhere rugby for the sake of it, but it saddens me - saddens me, genuinely - when you see players winning turnover ball and hoofing it downfield. Rhys Priestland does it - but he does it only because he's been told to play 'in the right areas'. It's not his game. He's a footballer. Rugby's a form of smuggling: the whole switch of play thing. I'm glad that Gatland has permitted the players to play outside the gameplan; but it's also a source of shame that we need to look to a New Zealander to tell us when we can play.

Luckless you are breaking my heart man .... its been the same old tripe since 2010.... it would drive you to tears, it really would...

So....

Not too much then?

Great to hear the Deccie Fitz did well. Absolutely amazing the progress that lad has made since his injury.

Can I take it that we would prefer Trimble back on the wing then?

It is our backs that are not up to it one bit. They couldn't have asked for a better platform to work with from our pack.

I expect SA to up the intensity in the 2nd half. Quite pleased so far though. We knew the kick/chase game SA would play, but they do it so well.

I just wish Walsh would pick up on the SA runners in front of the kicker.

MrsP wrote:So....

Not too much then?

Great to hear the Deccie Fitz did well. Absolutely amazing the progress that lad has made since his injury.

Can I take it that we would prefer Trimble back on the wing then?

YES. McFadden should not be on the wing, but everyone already knew how weak his defence was beforehand.

Referees are blind to that, Hound. It should be the simplest thing to spot; but apparently linesmen have bigger fish to fry...

I'm pretty sure MrP has recorded it for me.

Should I watch it?

Simplistic Question no. 1: could Fergus McMadden have scored the try Craig Gilroy scored in the Heino semi-final?

Are you talking about the try against Munster, Lucky? Did Gilroy score in the semi?

McFadden could have got it, he is probably faster than Gilroy, not as shifty though. What a pathetic tackle from Jones though.

MrsP wrote:Can I take it that we would prefer Trimble back on the wing then?

I'd prefer Mike Ross on the wing to McFadden .

Boks try, have a Biltong!

Either he scored a try or he created one, Thomond. My main point is why you'd select a half-decent centre on the wing rather than an actual winger.

But anyway, the football's starting now.

rodders wrote:Boks try, have a Biltong!

He might be a bit tense at this point, Rodders!

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:Simplistic Question no. 1: could Fergus McMadden have scored the try Craig Gilroy scored in the Heino semi-final?

Not a chance, Gilroy is both an illusive runner and deceptively strong. Zebo wouldn't have scored that try.

TOP 14 - 11 minutes gone ...........................
































3- 3 !!!

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

rodders wrote:Boks try, have a Biltong!

He might be a bit tense at this point, Rodders!

Between you and me Luckless...that game is like watching two bald men fighting over a comb..... ....

So Zebo isn't an elusive runner? He has areas better than Gilroy like. As Gilroy has areas better than him.

Dear Gott, the 'Boks are making heavy weather of this...

Ruan!!!

Thomond wrote:So Zebo isn't an elusive runner? He has areas better than Gilroy like. As Gilroy has areas better than him.

Zebo looks more like a finisher to me. Better pace than Gilroy, but that is all he has over him IMO.

Disagree there. Zebo has less experience then him I suppose but he has a better kicking game for one thing.

How have you worked out that one Thomond? Gilroy used to play full back a fair bit, he is a brilliant kicker.

THIS IS SO TRUE - CHART

Does anyone know whether Miles Harrison played rugby?

Zebo has a fine boot of a ball, played full back a fair bit in schools too. He has digged Munster out of a few dodgy situations using his boot too. There's going to be bias here, so I would say leave it here.

Lads yous are taking your eyes off the ball...no idea why you are arguing over Gilroy and Zebo when we have an inside centre who can't defend on the other wing...

Did you see that stat? Piere Spies becomes the most-capped Springbok no. 8 today. Well surely they've had better number eights. Teichmann for one.

I suppose there's more tests nowadays?

Jeebus this a yawnfest....

Can I believe my eyes? Willem Alberts making a mistake?!

PenfroPete wrote:THIS IS SO TRUE - CHART

ha, that's completely spot on!

43:40 12-9

Yep, you've guessed it 47:36 and Jonny Will-king-sonn draw the scores level 12-all

If anyone is having trouble sleeping, get over to channel 799 on SKY

64:21 and Mac-Al-Istair makes it 15 - 12

68:34

18 - 12

78 minutes and it comes to life

Catch and drive from RCT and they flood in but great defence from Toulouse

Ball goes wide and is split but, from the resulting scrum, Toulouse make a # of it and knock on

5m scrum to RCT and the clock goes red,

Free-kick to RCT and they tap, drive, pick, drive. It's not going wide (81:15)

Set and drive, and again (82:00)

82:15 knock on and that's it

240 minutes (Semi's and Final) - no tries

S0D it, I'll help myself to the drinks in here - (Cheers )

I've just been watching Coast. Northern Ireland really is beautiful. I wanna go.

Gibbo won't be happy...first Ireland lost this morning, and now the Cloggies in the roundball.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:Man alive Asbo, that's one hell of a round!

Then again, I suppose the Aston Martin set can afford it...

I like loud.

https://youtu.be/3D6nt2bviIU

Lucky, sadly I'm an ex- now

Repossession?