The Stratospheric Supersonic Dew Drop Inn, Roswell, New Mexico

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 its way to "sleepy" Roswell New Mexico, take off point for the first ever supersonic free-fall this week.

The only rule in this pub is one of mutual respect for everyone in it, oh and no tampering with the pictures of Felix Baumgartner and Chris Budgen up on the wall.




Previous Pub
https://www.606v2.com/t35734p950-the-dew-drop-inn-virtual-rugby-pub-taihape#1612820

Hi everyone,
just sitting down to watch some rugby. Saw hardly any last weekend. I am chair of overnoers at a 6th frm college and we were told last friday that Ofsted were coming in to do a full scale inspection. Very stressful week.

But, hey ho, they've been, inspected and are now gone.

Hi Granny!

Long time no see to you to!

How's the weeun?

I have often thought those inspections should been unannounced. The good teachers would pass no problems as they are well prepared and yet they would not have all the stress of the couple of weeks before.

Kia, long time since i saw you around. Hows life?

MrsP, are you sure you werent swearing

They give no more than 2 days notice now, MrsP.

Wee one is gorgeous .... I am NOT biassed. Spent a week up there and it was lovely to cudde him.

Hi Billy.

Just too too busy. Shold be in College today for an Open DAy, but decided the other governors could cover it. Have been in too often - even the new security guard knows me now. That means I have been intoo often.

Not watching much rugby at the moment but hope to rememdy that after Christmas.

If Toulon get to the Final, I have been promised tickets for it and that could well be my first match this season.

I am sure you are loving it Kia. What age is he now?

William, I wasn't there so I can assure you that I was not swearing. However, I had received at least 2 text messages before I got home expressing a certain degree of frustration.

They have a couple of pro player who help out with the team and one of them was doing a certain amount of ribbing this lad too!

Scarlets are dressed like Ulster today- a rare case of a sheep in wolves clothing!

Wow stunning finish from Nacewa after some excellent stuff from the Leinster pack.

Rumours of Leinsters decline have been greatly exaggerated .... ....

Seven weeks tomorrow MrsP.

And I have finished my knitting. That's it, promised my daughter I would be doing no more!

Oh aye, Leinster will be up there rodders. They are still a great side.

I just wonder if an underpowered second row will cost them in the double header against Clermont.

Email for MrsP.

We have been banned from posting piccies of infant on FB.

Yup 2nd row isn't what it was Notcho. Doing ok today though. D'arcy is looking in fine fettle here.

How often does Reddan fumble the ball at the base of the ruck? i think he's so overrated.

I like Paul Marshall, but its seriously worrying that he with all the manifest flaws in his game might be our best 9. Ireland is as weak at 9 as 3.

Notch wrote:How often does Reddan fumble the ball at the base of the ruck? i think he's so overrated.

I like Paul Marshall, but its seriously worrying that he with all the manifest flaws in his game might be our best 9. Ireland is as weak at 9 as 3.

I always thought that the cry for Reddan came from Blue-shirted Irish fans rather thn green-shirted ones, if you get my drift Notch.

I agree with you, Notch, he was never more than ok at international level.

Reddan is probably still a better 9 than Marshall. But if we were to swap 9s with Leinster we still couldn't justify leaving out Pienaar because he has what every current Irish 9 lacks- an actual rugby brain!

Treviso 18-9 up against Toulouse, might switch over to that.

I disagree, I think Reddan is a massively underrated player. Not the flashiest player but really does the basics well and reads the game better than any other Irish scrum half.

Paul Marshall is becoming the new Reddan though.

Notch wrote:Reddan is probably still a better 9 than Marshall. But if we were to swap 9s with Leinster we still couldn't justify leaving out Pienaar because he has what every current Irish 9 lacks- an actual rugby brain!

Totally disagree. In fact Pienaar's performance last night was someway short of the level of performance of Marshall the previous week.

He didn't link well with the players around him and his service was slow. Pienaar is a class act but he needs to show he can fit the quicker style of play that Anscombe wants to play. So far this season Marshall has got most thing spot on, in terms of his service and box kicking. Instinctively Pienaar kicks a lot or looks to snipe down the blindside which doesn't suit the NZ style Anscombe is implementing.

I think he may find himself out of the side if he can't adapt to our new style.

rodders wrote:I disagree, I think Reddan is a massively underrated player. Not the flashiest player but really does the basics well and reads the game better than any other Irish scrum half.

Paul Marshall is becoming the new Reddan though.

Reddan might be nothing more an an average scrum half, but I'd rather have an average 9 than a well below out of form 9, even if he (Murray) has the potential to be a good scrum half. I don't get the Marshall love in lads. I was burnt with demanding Stringer come back into the side, and then when he did, remembered all the weaknesses in the game that deservedly cast him from the squad in the first place! Marshall's strengths don't outweigh his major weaknesses. I don't see him any where near good enough to be in a green shirt. However he has played well enough this season and deserves an opportunity to prove me wrong. One reason why he won't though- Kidney. That's a real shame and a sad indictment of the Irish coaching setup.

I am with rodders on Reddan although not sure he is underrated.

What a DG from Sexton

I do not understand Toulouse. They overpower Tigers now they are being beaten quite comfortably by Treviso...

And even more amazingly Burton has managed to land 6 kicks

Bout ye Billser . One for Hook as well

I only came on to WUM for a bit but as as yous lads are in the house I'd better behave myself.... ....

Gotta disagree completely with that. Last night showed just how invaluable Pienaar is in the big matches. His kicking game was so intelligent and he took all the pressure off Jackson. He steered us through beautifully. Marshall is a great alternative but he isn't a thinking 9.

Mind you, he should now be given two weeks off. He's played too much rugby and if we're going to have him at his best in May he needs a holiday. I don't want to see him in an Ulster shirt again until after the November tests. He has been playing for two years straight.

Sure if we give him a holiday people will moan about it now, but the same people will be moaning once he isn't playing well at the sharp end of the season if we don't. With Marshall in form now is the time to rest Pienaar.

All is well rodders, cheers for the

I wouldn't Notch, I'd give Pienaar a few games to bed in. His kicking was excellent last night but other parts of his game were all over the place. He overran a pass from Payne, he took the wrong option a number of times and just generally didn't give the quality of service the backs need to play Anscombes way.

It's not surprising given the style of rugby he's been playing with the boks but if after a couple of games he doesn't find his feet I'd start Marshall against Saints.

Jaysus, BOD was well skinned there. Great try for the Scarlets.

Wow BOD left for dead there. Its an end of an era

He won't be playing between now and the Saints game really. He should play the week before and then we'll see how he does.

Look I'm probably exaggerating a bit Notch. Pienaar is world class. I don't doubt he can fit the system, I just felt he wasn't on the same wavelength with the likes of Payne, Jackson and Williams last night. I'm not worried about it, but he needs to adapt his game a bit from what he's used to.

Toulouse are now in complete control in Treviso. They've just taken the lead, but with their scrum utterly dominating Treviso it's hard to see a way back. Treviso are literally being shoved off their own put-in.

Toulouse lead 26-21

rodders wrote:Look I'm probably exaggerating a bit Notch. Pienaar is world class. I don't doubt he can fit the system, I just felt he wasn't on the same wavelength with the likes of Payne, Jackson and Williams last night. I'm not worried about it, but he needs to adapt his game a bit from what he's used to.

Remember he's had about four training sessions under this coach!

rodders wrote:Wow BOD left for dead there. Its an end of an era

This era has been ending for a couple of seasons Rodders. I have felt for about 18 months that BOD has been picked more often on reputation than form. He can and still sometimes does, produce the moment of briliiance when his team needs it, but there are so much more often passes that don't go to hand, offloads that go to the opposition and other such failings.
But we can say We saw him play and I cherish the memory of him scroing a try right i n front of me at The Rec a few years back.

Yes I know Notch that's why I'm not worried but he has some things to work on. We aren't the side we were last year, less set piece orientated and quick ball is key to play a multiphase offloading game. The likes of Payne, Williams etc. their instinct is to speed the game up..keep the ball in hand, which is what Anscombe wants, whereas Pienaar's is sometimes to slow it down and to kick for territory. That will have to be resolved and its Pienaar who needs to change.

...and just to clarify I don't think he had a bad game yesterday, just a mixed bag.

Afternoon All

I'm actually watching Rugby L***** live on BBC 2. It's France v Wales and Wales are 6 nil up...but this is league, so...

Speaking of underrated scrum halves...here comes Isaac Boss

It won't happen until the new year rodders.

Right now we only have him for a few weeks and then he rejoins the Boks for the whole of November. We'll need to rest him (which isn't too much of a bad thing because Marshall is playing well right now) and it will take him time to fully adjust to the new regime so we're looking at early January before he properly hits his straps.

For me, he has to start against Saints at Franklins Gardens. We'll be on the backfoot at times and his clever kicking game and cool head will be needed. Marshall can take the home games where we will be looking to play at a greater pace

Notch

Tell you what.. Mike Ross is playing out of his skin these days. Huge scrum from Leinster there.

Blydi hell - twice the French have crossed the try line on this match and they haven't scored both times.

Leinster 20-13 Scarlets

AWESOME scrum from Leinster!

for Mike Ross.

for Priestland .

Cheers Rodders. One drink and you know I'm easy.

BOD was skinned there and he is getting easier to beat on the outside shoulder for some time. He really should be moved in 12 as he still have plenty to offer. That said the Scarlets are bone headingly incompetent. Every time I watch a Welsh province fail to execute basic tactics it just goes to show what a bloody good job Gatland does....or that the province are coached badly. Leinster are there for the taking. I don't see them getting out of this group. Also Mike Ross can now honestly say when asked who ate all the pies that it wasn't him. He has dropped a bit of weight. I wouldn't say 'lean' exactly, but his all round game has markedly improved.

Final score at PYS 20-13 to Leinster. This was Leinster doing what they had to. Agree about Ross. He's was class today. Unfortunately the naivity that Scarlets tend to show in the big games came through again today.
Toulouse have come back and won 33-21.

Right no joke need to find a stream for the Connacht game or my Afternoon could be derailed here....

Great to see Leinster back in some sort of form. They were just monstrous at the breakdown today.

Looking forward to watching the Connacht game later. They have some quality young backs in their team with Griffin, Henshaw and O'Halloran.

rodders wrote:Right no joke need to find a stream for the Connacht game or my Afternoon could be derailed here....

PM coming right up!

Scarlets unable to put Leinster to the sword. Mental frailty at play.

Rory can you PM me the link too?

Of course!