The Dew Drop Inn Virtual Rugby Pub, Oxford

First topic message reminder :

Hello 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 Oxford - the new location for newly promoted London Welsh.

The only rule in this pub is one of mutual respect for everyone in it, oh and no tampering with the montage of pictures of Lyn Jones above the bar.




Old Pub: https://www.606v2.com/t31486-the-dew-drop-inn-virtual-rugby-pub-beal-feirste

Apologies that came out wrong. I meant have you heard anything about him. He seems highly rated. Ive never seen him play. Is he better than Deccie Fitz or are people excited just because he is a young prop?

red_stag wrote:Apologies that came out wrong. I meant have you heard anything about him. He seems highly rated. Ive never seen him play. Is he better than Deccie Fitz or are people excited just because he is a young prop?

He should be good. Expect to see him ahead of Fitzpatrick within a year.

Deccie Fitz looked superb in the HC and was very solid against NZ. His fitness and injuries are a problem but I think he could be a viable starter for Ireland if they improved.

Rava, is he a good scrummager. Main priority. I don't think we have much need for a good tighthead in the loose.

Fitzpatrick would be a better scrummager but Macklin is better at every other element of the game hands down. When looking at the scrummaging thing, got to consider Macklins age and experience and be realistic about how long it takes to master scrummaging. He's a much better long term prospect than Deccie imo but has suffered from a lack of time on the pitch. He needs meaningful gametime against good scrummaging teams.

It's a bit of a poser right; Ulster need to give gametime to John Afoas successor so he's all ready to step up when the big man heads home. That means Macklin needs to see gametime. Ireland need an understudy to Ross; that means Fitzpatrick needs gametime.

I think the best thing long term is for Macklin to get gametime ahead of Deccie. Otherwise in two years we'll be sitting around scratching our heads in two years when Ulsters first choice Irish tighthead is struggling.

Regardless of how good he is Macklin won't get a chance to improve due to John Afoa.

I would rather see Ireland look to Fitzpatrick if thats the case. He already has scrum skills from what I can see and can plug a hole until a younger prop comes along.

Macklin should be moved to Connacht, get him game time. If we want a a better national side looking aware from our a coaching failures, we need our provinces to workin in unison. It may be a different sport but it has worked wonders for the German National team.

Well John Afoa won't play every minute of every match. Macklin got a good bit of gametime last year and will hopefully get more this year, but he'll need starts sooner or later. Coming on for 15/20 minutes each week will only get him so far.

Ireland looking to Fitzpatrick could be to his advantage in terms of getting gametime. It will mean he's away at times in the season. It's going to be a big call as to who gets the bench spot. Last year Deccie was injured so much he was in every squad. Fitzpatrick is just coming off a reputation boosting tour.

Exactly it makes no sense at all.

Munster - Foreign tight head starting
Ulster - Foreign tight head starting
Connacht - Foreign tight head starting and Foreign tight head backup

Too many promising guys waiting in the wings. If not Connacht get them over to the National Division 1 in England with subsidised IRFU contracts.

Make Hagan, McGrath, Macklin etc our Project Players. A project to get them into top class units.

short, thick set, no neck. Yeah I see how you might struggle...

I've got to be honest, I would be pretty gutted if Fitzpatrick got that bench spot ahead of Macklin. Macklin has been learning a lot coming on to close off games each week and that could really stall his development. Plus his skillset is more useful in the last 20 minutes as an impact player than Fitzpatricks.

In an ideal world, Fitzpatrick could move to Connacht to play as their first choice tighthead. Think it's short sighted to allow them an NIQ tighthead as well.

Notch wrote:I've got to be honest, I would be pretty gutted if Fitzpatrick got that bench spot ahead of Macklin.

Is Macklin that good?

Ulster have really strengthened their coaching staff in the Academy.

Last year the set up was Gary Longwell running the show. Now it's Allen Clarke with Gary Longwell and Brian McLaughlin as his Lieutenants.

red_stag wrote:

Notch wrote:I've got to be honest, I would be pretty gutted if Fitzpatrick got that bench spot ahead of Macklin.

Is Macklin that good?

Well, like I said Fitzpatrick is a better scrummager. But Macklin has more potential, plus he has a lot more to his game. If he stops getting picked his development will stall. He's made a lot of progress. I do want him to be ready to step up as first choice within two years. Getting on as a sub every week is better than nothing.

Great day with P1.

plastic now crying for mercy but it was fun.

Today we eventually got someone to give us a quote to fix the wall after the "BMW" incident. Came home to find a lorry imbedded in the hedge!

I know not everyone is friends with Billy on fbook, but just to let you know he's had to go back into hospital for a few days, he's got a blood clot on the brain but the docs say he should be fine, just needs to take some meds to sort it out which he's v happy about, before he can head on home again

Dreamer thanks for letting us know.

Yeah he was going back into hospital late yesterday/today for a check up and they found it. His status on fbook is this:

Blood clot on brain, feckin lovely :-(
Can be fixed with medicine though so i am very happy. Just no going back home for a few days :-(

He seems on tip top form on fbook though, so am sure he'll be back home soon enough

He also says hello to everyone

That's great to hear that it can be mended, dreamer Best to billy when you communicate with him

message relayed

Good stuff. Thanks for the update Dreamer.

That's some timing Mrs P with the regards to the lorry.

evening all

hope everyone is well?

dreamer please pass on my best to Billy as well, don't think i am friends with him on facebook.

Hope Bilbo is alright. Send him the wishes of V2 Nation.

messages all passed on.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/blog/quiz/2012/jul/05/uk-citizenship-test?fb=native

I only got 10 out of 15 and you need 11 to pass

I got 10 but I'm not British.

I'm just very relieved that I got the Welsh one right. My Mam got it wrong = bragging rights to me!

I'm suprised I got the first one wrong! I thought NI counted as part of GB? I got the Welsh one wrong, also feiced up on the introduction of the Church of England although that era of history never really interested me.

ha, my Dad got that one wrong too!

I only knew it because on the Athletics on BBC one of the commentators always refers to us as Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

I got the Ireland one wrong, I ummed and awed over the 18th and 19th C and opted for the wrong one, bit annoyed with myself on that!

We forgive you ,sure we know nothign about Welsh history like, a bit about the British but nothing about the Welsh.

It's not that we know nothing about the Welsh T, it's just we don't give a shoite!

Yeah, guess so, although you know I was actually disappointed there was no out and out Scottish question in there.

But sure I took a pretty big interest in Irish history when I was growing up (my name is entirely responsible for this, I blydi hated it when I was growing up as no one could pronounce it so my Grandma told me to read up on it instead and where it came from so I could find something about it I liked, smart lady she was ), so should have got that one really. Ah well.

I just did the test and got 11.

smartie pants

About to watch the amazing spider man. Review to follow.

To be fair, two that I got right were guesses.

The ones I got wrong were...

4. When did the English first impose English laws on Wales and the Welsh?

8. Which kinds of skilled workers did not come to England in large numbers from Europe in the Middle Ages?

13. Which were the first colonies granted independence by the Labour Party in 1947?

14. Which British Prime Minister oversaw the introduction of the National Health Service?


Given that I have an A level in Government and Politics I am fair disgusted with myself about getting 13 and 14 wrong!!!

WillyGilly wrote:About to watch the amazing spider man. Review to follow.

Please report back on that one! I loved the first/second movie, will be interesting to see this new spin on it.

I got 11. Id probably fail an Irish equivalent though. And would definitely fail a Dutch one. Im a Brit innit.

I got 8, 13 and 14 wrong too Ozzy and the first Prime Minister one too (can't remember that number). I deffo got the first 7 right though

I don't know why but I feel like saying why I knew the English law being imposed one but I shall spoiler it just in case people read it before they take the test (if they are so inclined)

Spoiler:

Evening pub

Lovely evening out with my ex-colleagues, though I left them too it when they moved on to a different pub as I was driving. Suspect there'll be a few sore heads in that office tomorrow!

Journey home was something of an obstacle course. 1 tree down and two flooded bits, one of them under a railway bridge Have done my good deed for the day and reported them all to the police. Have to say the 101 service is an excellent idea

Evening pub , I bought some windows off of ebay, I didn't really pay much attention to the number and sizes of said windows, which was probably where I went wrong.

I only wanted one for my posh shed, my back garden now looks like the Crystal Palace. If the sun makes an appearance for even 20 minutes tomorrow, my house will burn down; so will my neighbours and my neighbours' neighbours.

Always check size and quantity, and then double check to make sure...

That's all.

Ah PJ, ya have to watch out for dem aul E Bay Windows.

Why dont you turn your shed into a mini Kew Gardens greenhouse? Grow some of them tropical plants like?

I'll bring some seeds and we'll make a packet. Say nowt to Plod tho...

Did someone call

Ozzy3213 wrote:Did someone call

Wooops.
It was HIM Ozzy! HE made me think it.

Ah, the old 'he made me think it' defence is it? Heard it all before sonny jim, now turn out your pockets!!!!!

A mate of my brother thought he had secured a laptop on eBay for a tenner. Turns out he bought the Instruction Manual

PJ just resell whatever you don't need. I'm sure there is some mug out there that will buy them

Fair cop copper. Do I get to ride in a nee-naw and have a go of yer truncheon in hand-cuffs and tings?

I really need to get out more...

Love you Ozzy. A sense of humour makes a serious, feiced-up World, a better place.

I'm not sure you should actually be allowed out anymore Gibbo

Love ya too me aul china, am hoping that the Chiefs v the Ladyboys is on a weekend that I can make it down to Asbo's for pints with ye

That would be great man. As, always set these things up with precision and warmth and enhances the whole gig. Having the HC Champs on his manor, will be a proud day. It is jusfication for the rise and rise of the Chiefs. As long as they dont do to us what ye lot did to us at the RDS. ;-)