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?

EEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSAAAAAAAAA! 8)

I agree Pete. Its keeps the tradition of it all strong. 2 wins from 2. Nae bad.

Hope England TRASH Switzerland .. Can't stand em. Anti-football.

Hope you enjoyed the chat box - I am off now for a bit.

Have a good Saturday night guys

Gibson wrote:EEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSAAAAAAAAA! 8)

I agree Pete. Its keeps the tradition of it all strong. 2 wins from 2. Nae bad.

I presume you are talking about the Corinthian spirit, Gibbo, given that we keep being told that the Baa-Baas training seesions are fairly liquid

Notch wrote:Right, missed the whole first half due to actually having to do some work when I was in work- see Barbarians are winning. Anyone want to fill me in on how the teams are looking? Being from Norn Iron I have a particular interest in the Orange Man, Gavin Henson.

Kept to the traditional route, so he did.

It's one of those fine unique traditions we have in this game that must not be lost. Along with the Lions, they are aspects of the game from the amateur era that have to be kept.

Notch,

It's his behaviour off the field that will be the defining factor of his Union career and also Toulon's willingness to exploit his skill set.

The Barbarians and the Lions must be preserved Gibbo, they are the last links to the amateur era and the traditions and values that as rugby fans we all hold dear.


Two more games to watch today, Saxons and the T14 final. With have to watch the Saxons game later as have to go out and collect middle daughter from a party shortly.

Henson very average today- but I get the feeling Gatland will give him another chance somehow.

He certainly will Notch. No doubt.

Hopefully after the World Cup, Gatland will start moving the "names" away from the squad.

I can see why. Handy to have a player who can cover 10, 12, 15 in a 30 man squad. With Hook and Henson they'd only need one other 10 and one other 15. I wouldn't have him in a Wales 22 on that evidence but I imagine Gatland will continue to give him chances.

I thought the replacements did well for Wales in that game, especially Tavis Knoyle. He speeded the game up no end.

Afternoon all, just a brief visit for me before I head back out again.

It was a bit of a strange match, the stadium felt really flat, and I thought the 1st half was poor.

Thought Faletau and Stoddart played well. Henson didn't really do anything, not sur eI'd play him again, thought Scott Williams looked better.

Phillips was again slow, we started to speed up a bit when Tavis came on.

Still we play the same lateral tactics, we don't take the ball on at speed and we are too predictable.

Chuffed I've seen the BaaBaa's play now though, and was really pleased for Iestyn Thomas, I thought he had a good game.

And in other news Wasps pre-season friendlies are Munster and SU Agen away and Treviso at home.

http://www.wasps.co.uk/news/wasps32415.ink

Stephen Jones was pretty poor I thought.

Read about the rumours earlier on of Philips heading to League. To be honest, with his skill set, that game might suit him better.

Saxons three tries to the good after 10 minutes.

Hound,

What's the score?

Canada beat Italy A in the first game, 26-12. That's a good victory for them.

One swallow doesn't make a summer. But Mason did seem very comfortable.

At one point it was a surreal match for me. I didn't mind if the Barbarians won it. Then a couple of substitutions saw Wales starting to play with a bit of tempo. All of a sudden I got behind them...and they, erm, lost.



The whole game was encapsulated for me in two incidents. Warburton gets a turnover and pops it up to Bennett, who looked for the closest Barbarian to run into so he could 'set it up'. Argh!

Two, Wales in their own 22, 4 on 3. Phillips runs on a drift, draws nobody and throws an hospital pass to Stoddart. Move over! Argh!

Gibson wrote:Hope England TRASH Switzerland .. Can't stand em. Anti-football.

Oh yeah Gibbo? Well, they have a load of new kids playing for them now, playing nice football and are 2-1 up at the minute. Lampard just got a Pen.

Check before you engage yer Gob.

Other Gibson out.

Its not the player's fault there's muppet in charge of the team who thinks he can coach an international side with just 100 words of the mother tongue.

Henson confirmed in 45 man WC training squad.

Commentator just said Scott La Valla has been offered a contract with Stade Francais- well done Scott!!

Well I don't really know what to make of that Welsh performance.

Stephen Jones has been great for Wales but I have to agree with Munsty that he was poor today. Put a better scrum half inside him and you'd probably see a different player. Mike Phillips scored a try but he is neither clever nor quick enough to play at international level at the moment. It's all well and good having a planned move but if it's not on, you have to abort. His pass to Brock James for the Baa-Baas' second (I think) try was a joke. It wasn't even an intercepted pass. It was just a regular pass, to an opponent.

Gavin Henson did little other than throw a foward pass to George North, who did very well to finish, and kick the ball away when the space was shut down. Nevertheless, we can expect to see him remain with the squad, which is an embarrassment.

I'm not convinced with Ryan Jones at lock. I am quite convinced that Huw Bennett is rubbish. And it remains the case that the Welsh players need serious drilling in the revolutionary concepts of running on to the ball - did we see it once? - and drawing the man to exploit overlaps.

That's Kieran Brookes tied in to England then.

Fair play to LaValla. Also, I think we tried hard with Brookes but England was his preferred choice and fair play to him.

Munsty - it's 33 - 6 at h/t. Was 19 - 3 when I posted. Saxons scrum is mullering the Eagles and Owens awarded a penalty try as USA splintered close to their line. Other tries from Miles Benjamin (2), Mike Brown and Micky Young.

EOS did not look happy with his team.

I think the coaches at Ulster were impressed with him and would have liked to sign him to the Academy but he's non-Irish qualified- that's the stumbling block. So I'm very pleased for him that he's got a great opportunity to go to Stade.

His contract is an u23 sort of Academy deal so he'll play for their reserves but train and potentially play for the first team.

Will be interesting to see how he does. I say the amount of Americans in Europe will keep increasing over the next few years.

USA Rugby are trying to get more Americans involved with professional rugby over here, I think.

It's the right thing to do. Off the top of my head I can think of Wyles and Smith at Saracens, Ngwenya and Swiryn over in France, with LaValla and Manoa fining clubs next year already.

Notch wrote:USA Rugby are trying to get more Americans involved with professional rugby over here, I think.

Can you teach them to scrummage? This is becoming embarrassing - Matt Stevens is absolutely destroying the Eagles t/h.

As will be pleased; Tom Johnson has just run another in. 40 - 3 now. Brown bagged no. 5 soon after the restart. Eagles' tackling is woeful.

And 36 runs in another from the best move of the match.

More on the USA team here...

http://www.usarugby.org/#cc%3D%5BApplication%5D%5C%5CStructure%5C%5CContent%5C%5CBrand%20Resource%20Center%5C%5CContent%5C%5CHome%5C%5CNewsArchive%5C%5C21125036-1296-100E-EBC6-9CF78B06F959%5C%5C23181D59-12DA-5CDF-F9B0-726A00EA373A%5C%5C23181D59-1305-2646-041E-74114AFB85D3%7B%7BTab%3AView%7D%7D

Notch wrote:I think the coaches at Ulster were impressed with him and would have liked to sign him to the Academy but he's non-Irish qualified- that's the stumbling block.

No province can afford having anything other than a NIQ first teamer.

greybeard wrote:

Notch wrote:I think the coaches at Ulster were impressed with him and would have liked to sign him to the Academy but he's non-Irish qualified- that's the stumbling block.

No province can afford having anything other than a NIQ first teamer.

Well, Leinster to be fair have a number of NIQ back-ups but you're absolutely right. Better to use the NIQ spot on an experienced player who will bring a lot to the table.

Hound,

From what I know, that is quite a weak USA line-up.

If they are focusing on any one game, they'll be focusing on the Tonga match which is a full test match.

WillyGilly wrote:Its not the player's fault there's muppet in charge of the team who thinks he can coach an international side with just 100 words of the mother tongue.

Willy,
100 words or phrases, in soccer, is well over the top, imo.
* Obviously, as I say
* Game of two alfs, Jon
* At the end of the day
* Flat back-four
* Push up on em, squeeze em in midfield
* You plonker!
* Go forward
* Stay back
* Hold on to de effin ball!
* Pass de effin ball!
* It wasn't our day
* Referee!
* The manager's job is safe...
* You're dropped son

That's it really.


It finished 2-2 btw. Swiss played the better football, but England missed some handy chances.
Montenegro go top, if they beat Bulgaria tonight.

Who?

Brazil vs Nederland later. Should be good.

Its actually nice to watch some fooball for a change. Im rugbyied out till the Summers Tests.

BTW, what time is the TOP14 Final on at?

Good point Notch. If I remember correctly, Tonga will be missing a lot of their best players as well.

I think it is a 7.45 kick off (BST) Gibbo, possibly 6.45 local time.

Gibson wrote:As,
What group do you want for the Chiefs?

Gib, any old group will do, just loving the European adventure!! Agen would be lovely cos I could see le Chef, likewise Dragons would be cool

Munsty - the Eagles line up will see some players back for the RWC for sure. Finished 87-8 with Lavalla getting a consolation try at the end. Mightily impressive from the Saxons though; there was some lovely handling and support lines in the match. It all contributed to a record England win over USA.

LDCPete wrote:I think it is a 7.45 kick off (BST) Gibbo, possibly 6.45 local time.

Thanks Pete mate. So 20:45 my time.

I just want Montpellier to show up and not get hammered. They deserve so much praise for how they have gone about their business. Whatever happens later.

As,
The European Adventure. Love it man. There is nothing better in rugby, than traveling with your team and other fans, around Europe.

For the Chiefs.

Hound,

I remember back in 2007, the Saxons hammered the US in the Churchill Cup but a few months later struggled to a 28-10 victory in the World Cup against the same side.

Oh yeah, I remember the pool stages in that RWC. That England team had so many issues in that tournament. No one knew what the man next to them was going to do - confusion reigned. In the end it didn't turn out to be too bad a tournament for us from such a shaky start.

What I look for from the Saxons is that they provide players who can step up to the senior squad if needed. Quite a few put their hands up today.

Hound, how did TJ go for the Saxons on the openside? :ale:

Wow, what a scrum from MHRC - under huge pressure on their 5m line, Toulouse put in, and les Herault destroy them and take it against the head :

What a defensive scrum by Montpol!! Splendide!

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Wow, what a scrum from MHRC - under huge pressure on their 5m line, Toulouse put in, and les Herault destroy them and take it against the head :

Agree lads. Was brilliant. Sheer power.

That will give them belief.

MHRC in for the first try of the game!!

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaguuuuuuuussaaaaaaaaaaa! Great try!

G'wan Jim!!

Great player and a lovely guy.