The Dew Drop Inn

First topic message reminder :

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 only rule in this pub is one of mutual respect for everyone in it, oh and no defacing the Tommy Bowe photo on the bar. That's a banning offence

So pull up a chair....what'll it be?

I wasn't referencing you in that comment Stag!

There are people in Ireland who have a very little Irish; half-remembered from their school days. They'd prefer to use English in everyday discourse because its what they've grown up with, its what they are fluent in.

The older you get, the harder it is to learn new languages or add to your sketchy knowledge of one so the older generations will probably always prefer English.

I'd consider myself to be both Irish and British; more Irish than British, but the British part of my make-up is an important thing as well. I've carried the passports of both nations. My entire family history is around N. Ireland for generations and generations. One national identity doesn't necessarily exclude the other.

I think (hope) that the Irish language will make strides in NI over the coming years. An Irish language act has been long promised, but resisted by some. It's needed in truth to preserve the language up here which is truly in a very perilous state.

Translink is now providing bilingual bus stop signs on some services in what is called the 'Gaeltacht Quarter' of (West) Belfast. Bilingual street signs in some parts of NI on an optional basis. Each community decides whether its something they want. Small shoots of progress.

I enjoyed the question about what makes each person's nationality and I hope whoever comes in tells about theirs.


Another question, but is the stage of your life where it's hardest to make new friends when you first leave Uni in your early 20s?

Watching Reds-Brumbies, Aussie commentators were really trying to suggest a try should be awarded despite the players hand being in touch

Depends Munsty. I think it's much easier to make friends at school. Uni can vary. Work is often difficult.

Notch,

Did you see the tackle on Ioane? They're suggesting it was on purpose but I would have said Ioane went down into the arm which would have hit the chest.

On that try, he would have scored if he had had the ball in his other hand.

Yeah, he looks in a seriously bad way. Out cold. I think it may well have been accidental on behalf of the Brumbies player because, as you say, he was ducking.

Always looks worse on replay doesn't it?

Not always, as you see some that look high, when on the replay they are fine. But I know what you mean.

MBTGOG wrote:I enjoyed the question about what makes each person's nationality and I hope whoever comes in tells about theirs.
Another question, but is the stage of your life where it's hardest to make new friends when you first leave Uni in your early 20s?

I say yes. Its also the stage of your life where it's easiest to lose contact with your old pals. I realised that recently and have been so much happier since I faced upto that. I've made a lot bigger effort to get aroud to see my pals. Your next Munsty I want to sample the kebabs of Chester

Munsty - I started uni in my early 20s... To answer your question, I think it depends on the individual whether or not it's difficult to make friends. Then there's making them and keeping them. Some people make acquaintances wherever they go and some don't. My sister for example, has loads of friends but not only is she very sociable, but she's very good at keeping in touch with people as well.

On nationality - I consider myself Welsh because it's where I was born and bred, and I'm accustomed to its culture. However on paper I'm British - which I've never felt really. If you're talking genetics, then I'm a right mongrel.

Stag,

I'm lucky that at the moment, I'm in Uni again so making quite a few new friends so dodging that bullet at the moment.

Yea its a lucky thing. Most of my uni course were idiots. You and Shane are the only lads I still really keep in touch with or want to keep in touch with from uni. I would say I have about 9 or 10 close friends and I'm gonna make the effort to keep in touch with all of them.

Argentina
1 Rodrigo Roncero (Stade Français, France)
2 Agustín Creevy (San Luis) *
3 Maximiliano Bustos (Universidad de Santa Fé) *
4 Manuel Carizza (Biarritz, France)
5 Mariano Galarza (Leinster, Ireland) *
6 Genaro Fessia (Córdoba Athletic) *
7 Juan Manuel Leguizamón (Stade Français, France)
8 Leonardo Senatore (GER Rosario) *
9 Agustín Figuerola (Brive, France)
10 Felipe Contepomi (Toulon, France)
11 Gonzalo Camacho (Harlequins, England)
12 Horacio San Martín (Aironi, Italy)
13 Marcelo Bosch (Biarritz, France)
14 Lucas Borges (Albi, France)
15 Martín Rodríguez Gurruchaga (Stade Français, France)

Reserves: 16 Eusebio Guiñazú (Biarritz, France), 17 Juan Pablo Orlandi (Racing Metro, France), 18 Santiago Guzmán (Tucuman)*, 19 Alejandro Campos (Agen, France), 20 Alfredo Lalanne (London Irish, England), 21 Nicolás Sánchez (Tucuman)*, 22 Rafael Carballo (Bordeaux-Begles, France)


The Argentine side to play the French Barbarians today. Genuinely only found out that game was happening today.

I am Welsh. Like Cari others would say I am British but I would deny that. I am a Brython not a Britton. My mother's grandmother was Scottish and my grandfather was from South Pembrokeshire. They are a nationality of their own being decended from Normans and Flemish, little England beyond Wales and all that. But I think a bit of fresh blood every now and again strengthens the genes. "got some Welsh in you? Would you like some? Hahahaha."

Has Galarza ever played for Leinster and will he given that they are signing another second row this year.

The Brumbies thoroughly deserve this win.

Pretty handy Pumas side that.

Glas - I didn't bother going into the genes....I've got all sorts, very little Welsh actually. On my dad's side there's Welsh, English (West Country) and Irish. On my mother's side, there's Austrian, Jewish, Bosnian, Polish...

Yes, I'm similar Glas. I don't feel any affinity with people in England or Wales. I view them as seperate countries altogether. But I'm slightly British in that I follow British politics and read British papers- even if it's just a colonial thing. I'm frustrated that the seat of legislative power for where I live is in London, the capital of another country. I'm a strong supporter of devolution.

I have a great affinity with the Scots having lived there for 9/10 years. I'm a strong supporter of Scottish independence.

I don't think he ever has Stag and I believe he's already gone. Just brought in for depth. Also, the players with a * next to their name played for the successful Las Pampas XV team which recently won the Vodacom Cup in South Africa.

Brumbies came up with some massive defence to win that one. A few upsets in Super Rugby this weekend.

Ioane looked bad, was unconscious before he hit the deck.

He's not with Leinster any more. They have Ed O'Donoghue hidden away somewhere. Locked in a basement somewhere in Dublin- hasn't been seen in months.

Now he's nothing special, but he could do a job for Connacht if not needed in Leinster.

On the subject of close friends, I'm not totally sure how many I have. Never counted. Just know who they are.

It's a bit mixed at the moment though with the amount of new people I'm meeting.

Munsty - the difference between friends and acquaintances soon becomes apparent.

When push comes to shove you'll see the difference quick Munsty.

It's gone dark and cloudy here...maybe Rev won't need the sunblock afterall. Is the roof open? It's very windy.

On that Argentina team, isn't Leguizamon joining joining newly promoted Lyon?

Right, off over to Ealing for the days rugby.

I don't mean acquaintances and friends. I mean friends and close friends.

That's what I mean Munsty - you will find out who are close friends and those who become acquaintances...

Prynhawn da / good afternoon all, hope we're well.

I consider myself to be Welsh but I have no problem accepting that I'm also British. My dad's from north Wales but his grandmother's father came over from Ireland. My mum's English but her grandfather was a Welsh-speaking Welshman from Liverpool and she also has Scottish ancestry.

We're all immigrants if you go back far enough. The Celts aren't native to Britain.

Cari,

I would say that you can have friends that don't come under the close label or the acquaintance one.

I wouldn't break it down like that. For me someone is either my friend or else they are just someone I know and see from time to time. If someone isn't in either category it means that you aren't sure. Thats my take.

Recently I got a text message from a guy I was in uni with demanding to know why I deleted him as a Facebook friend I never used speak to him on facebook and we were never absolutel best friends. I didn't bother replying to the text.

Staggy - how strange of that person to text you. It would be different if you'd been in touch with each other.

Munsty - to be honest I don't think it matters about how to categorise them. We all learn who our friends are in the end, or at least we should. That's the important bit.

It's just started to wee down here...wasn't expecting that.

It was so weird Cari really. I meant he has what 400 face book pals and notices that I removed him. I am down to about 30 people that I actually talk to.

Stag,

I think you should text that person back. Unless someone does something bad to you, no point wiping them out of your life.

Cari,

I don't want to limit my friends. Maybe I'm a bit liberal with my use of the term friend, but our relationships with people is the most special thing we have in my opinion and I don't want to put too many barriers in there with any cynicism.

That's fair enough Munsty - I am cynical, so it's just me. You're very lucky to think that way. Maybe if things had been different for me, I would too

Stag,you Bitch.

I'm sorry if I do text back the first thing I'll be asking is how he noticed and why he cared? We NEVER talked on facebook and I hadn't even seen the guy in over 6 months when I deleted it. We sometimes hung about together after class in uni. I don't like the wide exposure of facebook and have decided to limit it to a close group.

That's the drawback of Facebook...it can bring people back that you'd stopped bothering with for a reason (and vice versa). I'm surprised he noticed if he's got 500 friends.

My son was asked questions in a job interview about his Facebook account but everything must have been in order he got the job.
I closed my Facebook account due to the stuff being posted on my account meant as fun but there are some things you don't want to share with the world

I use Facebook but I don't give away much on there really, I also very fussy about who I add so I've only got 46 friends

Stag,

There must have been a reason he noticed and a reason he was hurt.

MBTGOG wrote:Stag,

There must have been a reason he noticed and a reason he was hurt.

Perhaps he's just insecure and thinks it's his fault.

Perhaps he thought Stag was someone he wanted to stay in touch with?

There could be plenty of reasons but I don't like the idea of ignoring someone.

Perhaps but what am I going to do add him as a pal and then never talk to him anymore? Its just such a charade.

That could be true Munsty, but it doesn't sound like the person let Stag know that he wants to keep in touch. It's a two-way thing.

You don't have to add him again but in my opinion, ignoring his text is wrong.

Isn't it sad that technology does that to people? How come that person didn't text Stag before he removed him from Facebook? People questioning stuff like that.

Anyway, rugby's on!!

Does anyone know if you can stream this live from the BBC website? It's only on regionally.

Anything here good for you Notch?

http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=119062&part=sports

Notch wrote:Does anyone know if you can stream this live from the BBC website? It's only on regionally.

Found it!

Legal link for those in the UK with TV license; http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/13629482.stm

Cari, I'd rather watch it direct from the BBC online!

I thought you meant you couldn't watch that link

Nope, just looking for it!