The Dew Drop Inn Virtual Rugby Pub, Ballycastle Bar, Hong Kong.

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 Hong Kong, host city for the British & Irish Lions first Tour match before their arrival in Australia - land of the Giant Budgie Smuggler.

So grab a beer, cider, whiskey or wine.... or a warm beverage and sit back and enjoy 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 Rory Best, Sam Warburton, the Limavady Luge Team, Papa Rodders, Mrs Rodders and our newest & sweetest member, Katelyn.    

last Pawb: https://www.606v2.com/t43001p1000-the-dew-drop-inn-virtual-rugby-pub-pyongyang

Lucky! You've eaten Gibbo!

Well that explains the squits.

Morning all.

Glas/Stag/Ozzy (or anyone else with a Skype account who fancies a crack), are any of you about tomorrow night for a podcast?



This morning I was in a tube carriage where someone had to use the emergency alarm after another passenger collapsed. At last sight it looked like the 1st aiders had him stabilised, and luckily for rush hour tube-traffic it happened on the way into White City station, which has a "spare" siding so following trains can pass the stopped one.

PS, this morning's Times announced that Paul hAckford is joining them as rugby correspondent. Mutter mutter.

I am Kiwi. Don't know how much use is be though, I didn't see the Lions game, French final or any super noodle 15 games

Warriors on fire....

Congratulations on the cricket, Kiwi. The Black Caps thoroughly deserved the win. England bowled as if they had no real plan.

Glas a du wrote:I am Kiwi. Don't know how much use is be though, I didn't see the Lions game, French final or any super noodle 15 games

I was thinking an overall season roundup for the NH club season. Plus we _may_ have a guest - an RL player who has a part in the Mickey Rourke Gareth Thomas movie.

So the Lions have set paw on t'other shore.

Pity I'll miss Wednesday's game (same time as Origin 1) but it should be more competitive than the last match... only 20-30 points this time.

Lucky is the man for 'Showbiz' I think.

And Kiwi don't ask him which part of Gareth Thomas did he play. Just put that thought out of you mind or it may inadvertently slip out

Glas a du wrote:Lucky is the man for 'Showbiz' I think.

And Kiwi don't ask him which part of Gareth Thomas did he play. Just put that thought out of you mind or it may inadvertently slip out

What do you mean by 'it'?

Photo for Cari... the one down the bottom. Nice sky!

http://www.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/story/184292.html

(ignore the silly story... it's just the usual pre-match banter)

Glas a du wrote:Lucky is the man for 'Showbiz' I think.

And Kiwi don't ask him which part of Gareth Thomas did he play. Just put that thought out of you mind or it may inadvertently slip out

Ozzy's in Mallorca on hols, and Stag's up to his eyeballs in work, so we'll leave the podcast a week. I may try and do a solo (quiet in the cheap seats Lucky) interview with the league player this week

Linebreaker wrote:Photo for Cari... the one down the bottom. Nice sky!

http://www.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/story/184292.html

(ignore the silly story... it's just the usual pre-match banter)

Thanks Breaker....always lovely to see him in the near-nuddie. It's like 2009 again.

Bore da pawb / good morning all, another sunny day!

I see Kurtley Beale is back in the Wallabies' training camp. It's great for him, great for Australia and great for the game, but I'm not sure it's great for the Lions...

Morning all!

Something you don't often see.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2655984

So the sun really will be splitting the stones!

Looks like it!

Prepare for me moaning about it being too hot!

Ha, we're never happy, are we?

Looks like the Force have named a largely second-string side for tomorrow's match. It must be a kick in the teeth for the first team to be missing out on a crack at the Lions, and I doubt their fans will think much of it either.

Cracking day in London today. Far too nice to be working

For those interested in cricket, I've set up a Champions Trophy prediction game on SuperBru:

http://www.superbru.com/championstrophy/pool.php?p=11092744
Pool name: v2 Cricket
Pool code: flewrota

Cheers Pete. I'm in.

Lucky, it's only Nick Cummins and Ben McCalman missing, so not really a second string team. They are expecting around 30,000 at 'Subi' but it wouldn't surprise me if many more turn up on the night. It can hold around 43,500.

http://www.lionsrugby.com/news/11959.php#.Ua3A_9jm7Md

15. Sam Christie (4 SR)
14. Dane Haylett-Petty (9 SR)
13. Ed Stubbs (6 SR)
12. Chris Tuatara-Morrison (Uncapped)
11. Corey Brown (Uncapped)

10. Sam Norton-Knight (66 SR, 2 Tests)
9. Brett Sheehan (92 SR, 6 Tests)

1. Salesi Manu (8 SR)
2. James Hilterbrand (1 SR)
3. Salesi Ma'afu (72 SR, 13 Tests)
4. Toby Lynn (61 SR)
5. Phoenix Battye (11 SR)
6. Angus Cottrell (15 SR)
7. Matt Hodgson (c) (95 SR, 6 Tests)
8. Richard Brown (88 SR, 23 Tests)

Replacements
16. Hugh Roach (Uncapped)
17. Sione Kolo (Uncapped)
18. Tim Metcher (Uncapped)
19. Ben Matwijow (Uncapped)
20. Lachlan McCaffrey (8 SR)
21. Alby Mathewson (97 SR, 4 Tests)
22. Nick Haining (Uncapped)
23. Junior Rasolea (10 SR)

So same as here (when it was light...), Mrs P. Enjoy the sun!

Hmm. The comments on the match thread made it sound like a second-string side, but there's a fair bit of experience there. Maybe not on the bench.

Phoenix Battye is a hell of a name!

Socceroos playing Japan right now. Their fans are amazing. Saitama Stadium sold out (63k) and they've set up a big screen at the National Stadium (55k) in Yoyogi too (beautiful place in central Tokyo near a large park)... also sold out. About $15 a ticket to go there.

Oz need to at least draw, otherwise we can kiss goodbye to "Copacabana" in 2014. Jordan, Oman and Iraq are the other teams in our Qualifying Group. We've already lost to Jordan (a) and Iraq (a), drawn with Japan (h) and Oman (h).

This time tomorrow night I'll be at ANZ for Origin 1. I'm quietly confident but we need to go 1 up before Brisbane.
I'll check out the TVs in the concourse. (we are very egalitarian in Oz)
There'll be the Lions game on some of the TVs there no doubt. They have SXV on there when the NRL is on.

Interesting name, eh Lucky?

It's a great name. If someone introduced himself as Phoenix Battye, you wouldn't forget him.

Actually, Lucky... you are right. Quite a few players will be missing according to the local papers.

"the likes of five-eighth Sias Ebersohn, fullback Jayden Hayward, prop Pek Cowan, in-form centre Kyle Godwin, hooker Heath Tessmann, lock Sam Wykes and winger Pat Dellit won't feature against the Lions."

Tommy Oar Scores!

1-0 in Tokyo! 82 min.

Penalty in 89th min though... 1-1.

So Japan qualify, Australia need to win their remaining matches.

Flights booked to get over to Ireland vs NZ in November

Just need to get match tickets sorted now

Rumours are that the Dragons' coaches and director of rugby are on their way out.

Lucky/Penfro (or any other Welsh regs)

I may be able to get a couple of tickets to the England* vs NZ Champions Trophy cricket match in Cardiff next Sunday (16th) If I come over, do any of you fancy coming to the game?

















*(and Wales )

I would love to Pete, but I'll be in sunny Monmouthshire next weekend.

It's not because I don't want to see England battered again, honestly.

I also have a ticket for the 3rd Lions match in Sydney if anyone knows anyone who is interested.
My cuz pulled out (ski trip with family) and he has left me with an empty seat. Could make a killing... but that's not my way.

Cost price for a Reg. If anyone wants to jet over, lodgings are free.

Afternoon all. How is everyone?! Wish I could get to Aus now but due to the best news in a loooong time I can't. Officially a doctor now... So I'll have to graduate now...

As Nick Campbell, formerly of Glasgow Warriors said, "on top of the moon"...

Congratulations UIG!
A huge achievement. Well done, mate.

Cheers Breaker... Still sinking in. Meant to be moving out of my flat too... That's just gone out the window......

UlstermaninGlasgow wrote:Afternoon all. How is everyone?! Wish I could get to Aus now but due to the best news in a loooong time I can't. Officially a doctor now... So I'll have to graduate now...

As Nick Campbell, formerly of Glasgow Warriors said, "on top of the moon"...

Just to help the celebrations along

Welcome to the fold!

Nice one UIG!!



Afternoon all. Glorious day here, and set to be the same all week.

Oh Ulsterman that's fantastic news! I was only wondering the other day if you'd had your results. Made up for you, all that hard work has paid off in the end

Good news UIG

Quite shocked by the amount of sun we're having at the moment.......anyone read up about the Daily Mail complaining about 5lives fighting talk? I very rarely get annoyed by something but the way they have targetted the programme is pretty annoying, to be fair I really enjoy fighting talk so am a bit biased.

They're onto Game of Thrones now and complaining because there's blood........

prop_lyd wrote:Good news UIG

Quite shocked by the amount of sun we're having at the moment.......anyone read up about the Daily Mail complaining about 5lives fighting talk? I very rarely get annoyed by something but the way they have targetted the programme is pretty annoying, to be fair I really enjoy fighting talk so am a bit biased.

They're onto Game of Thrones now and complaining because there's blood........

Prop I'm in exactly the same boat! Love fighting talk and its disgraceful the way it's been left out to hang by the beeb. Especially when a rag like the mail has the utter gall to come out and pick at them. Unanimous support and anger on the fighting talk Facebook page thank goodness so it hasn't split us fans.

What's all this fighting talk?

I think it's a happy-slapping forum where people can share footage and experiences.

Great stuff, UiG. Llongyfarchiadau! (That means 'nil by mouth' in Welsh.)

Well done Glasgowman!

Bore da pawb. PM for Mrs P

Will you have the radio on for the Lions match, Glas? I was hoping to be able to get a live stream for it on my laptop, but one of the top brass is going to be down in Newport this morning, the bustard!

WillyGilly wrote:

prop_lyd wrote:Good news UIG

Quite shocked by the amount of sun we're having at the moment.......anyone read up about the Daily Mail complaining about 5lives fighting talk? I very rarely get annoyed by something but the way they have targetted the programme is pretty annoying, to be fair I really enjoy fighting talk so am a bit biased.

They're onto Game of Thrones now and complaining because there's blood........

Prop I'm in exactly the same boat! Love fighting talk and its disgraceful the way it's been left out to hang by the beeb. Especially when a rag like the mail has the utter gall to come out and pick at them. Unanimous support and anger on the fighting talk Facebook page thank goodness so it hasn't split us fans.

Yeah I've enjoyed reading the facebook reaction to it!! Give it a week and the mail will bite onto something else!!

Lucky: rumour has it that Lyn Jones will come to the dragons at the end of his contract

I only heard that rumour yesterday, Prop. I'd love us to get him on board, because he's built a great team / squad spirit wherever he's gone, and he's a perceptive coach - he'll see possibiliities other coaches wouldn't. I want to know who our new defence coach is going to be, because that's an area we really need to sort out.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:Will you have the radio on for the Lions match, Glas? I was hoping to be able to get a live stream for it on my laptop, but one of the top brass is going to be down in Newport this morning, the bustard!

I tried to get it on Radio Cymru the iplayer but "Contractual issues" (i.e. News Corp greed) meant that it couldn't be played. I then heard that there was a link to get it online, but "Contractual issues" (i.e. envy of Apple) meant I couldn't play it on my phone! I caught the last quater of an hour in the car on my way to a home visit.

Horrible group for Scarlets Glas lumped in with Racing Metro, Clermont Auvergne and Harlequins.

Munster get a favourable group: Gloucester, Edinburgh, Perpignan.