The Dew Drop Inn Virtual Rugby Pub, Pyongyang

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 Pyongyang in a bid to persuade Kim Jong Un to pack away the missiles, grab a beer and watch the rugby.

The only rule in this pub is one of mutual respect for everyone in it, oh and no tampering with the pictures of Donal Walsh, Chris & the late Hannah Eaton, the retiring Marcus Horan, the recently hospitalised Schalk Burger (with meningitis), the recuperated Jacques Burger, and the three-peating ANBL champion NZ Breakers





Previous pub: https://www.606v2.com/t42107-the-dew-drop-inn-virtual-rugby-walkabout-covent-garden

glas - I CLAVDIUS...one of the best things on the beeb.


Das Boot (ITV) was also compelling stuff.

Nothing like that seems to get made anymore.

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

From another thread.....My ideal lions capt would be Max Power. Tough, uncompromising and rude!

Nobody snuggles with Max Power - you strap yourself in and feel the Gs!

Morning all, 'tis good to be back in sunny London.

Amazingly good 3 days in Christchurch (aside from the weather). Tough flight back, I had to sit next to an autistic 4 year-old from Christchurch to Bangkok (2 flights, 3 hours then 9 hours), mercifully the plane was empty enough on the Bangkok-Dubai leg that I was able to move seats (and better still 4yo's family were flying to Manchester not Gatwick so weren't on the final leg)

We'll see your Max Power and raise you a Chopper Read.

In all seriousness though... it is such a dilemma! I'm just as eager as you guys to hear the final decision.

I spoke to the guy at the stadium today to clarify something (membership states you are allowed "one complimentary 'guest fan pass' for all the 40+ games every year... or 3 paying guests to each game") but was told that the Lions match was the only exception.

However, he sent me a $100 food & beverage voucher and 2 passes (one free; the other a reserved seat at a discounted price) for all the other non-international games. These are the Super XV (x 2 matches), the rest of the NRL (x 15 matches), some T20 (x4) domestic + int'l matches)

S.O.O 1, Tahs v Brumbies and the Man U v All Stars already pre-booked and seats allocated.

Welcome back Pete. How was the wedding? Did you see your special friend again?

Linebreaker wrote:...

Welcome back Pete. How was the wedding? Did you see your special friend again?

Cheers Breaker.

The wedding was great (once I drank through my jet lag headache) - we went around to the bride's house a couple of hours before the wedding to spring the surprise of me visiting before she walked up the aisle - it went down well.

The whisky tasting Friday night was superb, some great wee drams - including a 46 year-old grain whisky that sells for about £300 a bottle! Better still, the 2 experts who'd come out from Scotland were on my flight from Chch to Dubai, and we went through security together so they dragged me into the Business Class lounge for some pre-flight drinks

I took Catherine out to a fancy French restaurant for dinner Thursday night after I landed. That and the posh chocolates I brought back from London seemed to work pretty well , so I've had a big silly grin on my face a lot over the past few days

Hmm, and they just played 'Love is in the Air' on Radio 2...

Well done mate! Clever work.... you charming sophisticate you...!

Welcome back kiwi. Glad it all went well.

Afternoon pub.

Afternoon Hound, how's tricks?

Ok lucky. Had a few beers yesterday with some pals and am a bit fraggled atm.

Right, I'm off to watch Ealing Amateurs taken on Ruislip in the NW London midweek cup final at Harrow RFC (which is actually in Stanmore).

Ok all you Dublin/Ireland dwellers.....I'm looking for a hotel in Dublin, don't want to spend a massive amount for it (around £70 per night would be fine), any ideas or suggestions? It needs to be fairly ok as MrsProp is with me!

Good morning folks.....ANZAC Day.

Prop - I find www.trivago.co.uk a good website to search for hotels. From my own experience, it would depend on when you go and what days you're staying as to what type of place you stay in. You might have to compromise on price or comfort. Also location varies. The only hotel I stayed in Dublin has since had a refurb and been renamed, but i don't know what it is!

I've used trivago too and found it to be pretty good. I generally use www.laterooms.com though, got some very good deals through them

Happy ANZAC Day laurie.

Prop - hotels are at a premium in Dublin for the HC weekend. Tis a gamble, but if Munster don't make it then prices may come down.

I'm in the Best Western in Drogheda - just over £100 a night. The best we could get for a decent hotel.

And Ealing Amateurs won the cup with a try in the last minute, with the score at 19 all at the time.

Bore da pawb / good morning all.

14 people die in a fertiliser plant explosion in the States: headline news, BBC reporters flown over there to bring us live coverage even when there's no updates to bring us.

At least 160 people die after a building collapses in Bangladesh: fourth or fifth story in the news, the BBC use a local journalist to tell us what's happening.

If only the poor b@stards had been white!

Yes.

Hound of Harrow wrote:Happy ANZAC Day laurie.

Prop - hotels are at a premium in Dublin for the HC weekend. Tis a gamble, but if Munster don't make it then prices may come down.

I'm in the Best Western in Drogheda - just over £100 a night. The best we could get for a decent hotel.

And Ealing Amateurs won the cup with a try in the last minute, with the score at 19 all at the time.

Luckily I'm going the week after h.cup!! Going to hunt later on today. Good work from Ealing then! Great year for them!

Yes. Good Morning.

It's always like that, Lucky. Also the huge earthquake in China. That got a bit of coverage here but was overshadowed by the Boston bombings.

Huge ANZAC Day game at the MCG with over 93,000 there. Essendon beat Collingwood by 46 points. A blow out in the end but the gap was narrowing in the 3rd quarter.

The first ever AFL game (for Prem. points) about to get underway in Wellington. Swans v Saints. They just had the cameras on the St Kilda coach in the dressing room... you could cut the air with a ping-pong bat.

The Chooks murdering the Dragons (40,752 there) 34-4 and still 15 mins to go.

I've never really watched Aussie Rules properly. They used to show bits of it on Trans World Sport on Channel Four, but that's the extent of it.

AFL is Aussie Rules, yes?

Yes. Nice Kiwi lass singing the Australian Anthem.
A very respectful crowd... only about 15-17,000 I'd say. Not bad for a rugby-mad nation like New Zealand.

There was a piece on some young Maori guy (Sth Auckland) who is a rising rugby star of sorts. The AFL scouts got him to kick a few balls (Sherrin - Aussie Rules football) and taught him some basic skills of the game. He looked a natural player.

Also there's 2 young Kiwi blokes on the Hawthorn Hawk's roster - it showed their whole family... about a dozen of them... glued to the TV. The reporter then asked the young kid brother of one of them "What is your favourite game to watch?" He gave his answer.

Then Mum chipped in: "Oh nooo! Not another bloody one!" The old man then rolled him eyes... a bit like they do in the Haka.

Do the touch judges still wear blazers? I remember being impressed by how smart they looked - and I liked the way they signalled a kick was good: that double-arm point thing they do.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:Do the touch judges still wear blazers? I remember being impressed by how smart they looked - and I liked the way they signalled a kick was good: that double-arm point thing they do.

It's all fluoro vests now - the field umpires (x2) and goal umpires (x2).

They do the double-arm signal for a goal (then wave 2 flags once above their head then bring them down... then 2 x single fingers vertically above head on each arm to the field umpire) and a tap on shoulder and then single-arm signal (followed by a single flag wave... then 1 x single finger on one arm for the field umpire) for a 'behind' or 1 point.

Quite rude isn't it?

They do this because the field is so big... up to 170m but average is around 150-160m.

It's a round pitch, isn't it?

Oval shaped (or elliptical to be precise) - but squared off near the goal-square.

They're here, they're here! My HC and Amlin final tickets have hit the doormat!

Linebreaker wrote:Oval shaped (or elliptical to be precise) - but squared off near the goal-square.

Let's play a game of spot the architect...

Sure Mr Legal Eagle Eye.

When the next game on?

perthshirepuma wrote:They're here, they're here! My HC and Amlin final tickets have hit the doormat!

The tickets I ordered for Penfro have arrived. Mine haven't.

Hmmm, I hope ticketmaster will deliver.

Glas a du wrote:

Linebreaker wrote:Oval shaped (or elliptical to be precise) - but squared off near the goal-square.

Let's play a game of spot the architect...

I used to love playing spot the architect. I also loved solicitor's knock and pin the scalpel on the surgeon.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

Glas a du wrote:

Linebreaker wrote:Oval shaped (or elliptical to be precise) - but squared off near the goal-square.

Let's play a game of spot the architect...

I used to love playing spot the architect. I also loved solicitor's knock and pin the scalpel on the surgeon.

Are you implying that surgeons are asinine?

MrsP wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

Glas a du wrote:

Linebreaker wrote:Oval shaped (or elliptical to be precise) - but squared off near the goal-square.

Let's play a game of spot the architect...

I used to love playing spot the architect. I also loved solicitor's knock and pin the scalpel on the surgeon.

Are you implying that surgeons are asinine?

Pass. All I know is I've never met an architect called "Spot". I think I may have met a solictor called "Knock" at least.

I know some called Knox all right!

"Bryn, it means hill in Welsh..."

Morning All

Just watching Warren Gatland being interviewed on Rugby HQ here.

He's said 28-30 players are already on his list and when Timmy Horan asked him who is most likely to be Captain, WG mentioned BOD, Robshaw and after a slight pause... Warburton (in that order). So Warbs it is then, no?

Ah, an expert Gatland watcher...

Rumours are Robshaw won't tour!

Yeah, that's the impression I got reading all the experts on here.
He wouldn't mention him by name as one of the likely choices for captain if he wasn't even on the current player shortlist, would he?
At least we both put him on our lists. Maybe it is Warbs first choice, BOD as back up... Robshaw if things get desparate?

Linebreaker wrote:He wouldn't mention him by name as one of the likely choices for captain if he wasn't even on the current player shortlist, would he?

Well he would if he's a) canny and trying to throw journos off the scent, and / or b) really mean.

Exactly Lucky. (thought you were Glas there for a moment!)

He wouldn't be that crafty or mean. Or would he?

I certainly don't think it will be POC or Sexton. A lot of noise for them on here but I don't buy it.

I don't think he would be that mean. I doubt Robshaw is on the shortlist (I could be wrong), but if he's mentioned him at all then surely he'll tour.

I'd quite like BOD to be named captain - squad captain, at least. He's been a such a fine player, is still capable of magic, and he's a natural with the media, which shouldn't matter but does.

Me too, although I am of the school of thought that it should be a forward who is Captain.

I would fear BOD more than Warbs... then again I don't know how well the Lions pack would 'respect' him. They'd respect him for sure... but how much and what sort of authority can he impart on the others around him at the coalface?

I'd say BOD has much more natural authority about him than Warburton. Warburton leads by example, and the obvious problem with that is when he's not on song, it's not a particularly good example. He's pretty good at getting the referee's ear without actually annoying him, which is an art, but then BOD's good at that, too.

I'm not sold on POC at all.

Yeah, he seems as though he might deck the ref if something goes against his team!

Which is not the way to get his ear!

I wouldn't be upset if POC got the nod, not at all. But he wouldn't be my choice.

I really can't wait for the squad announcement. There are going to be some very talented, very disappointed players come Tuesday, particularly in the back row.

Also some very talented, very disappointed posters on here.

These boards will be busy, no question!

Any plans for the weekend, Breaker?

I'll do some home maintenance first thing tomorrow (early this time 'cos it will be hot)... mow lawns, cut back some stuff, sweep up the berries. Watch a bit a sport (like now: Canes 11 Stormers 10, 48'; Manly-'Souffs' on next)

Catch up with an old mate tomorrow night in this pub here: (he has wife's permission... poor bugger!)

http://www.baldfacedstag.com.au/ ... quite grungy but some very good live bands play there!

Rest and recuperate on Sunday; watch some more sport. Visit Mum at some stage.

How about you? Is the weather good for being outdoors?

It was beautiful here on Tuesday, but it's got colder and cloudier as the week's gone on - quite a bit of rain last night, but brighter this morning. If it's dry tomorrow the lawn could do with a mow.

My middle sister and family are back from Swansea for the weekend, so this evening we're having a family evening at my dad's. It'll be the first time we've all been together since my new niece came along, so it'll be great.

The Amlin and Heino semi-finals are on so I'll probably watch those, and the snooker of course.