The Dew Drop Inn Virtual Rugby Pub

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?

This is the instrument I play. (apologies for long link)

http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ultimate-tuba.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/contra.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ultimate-tuba.com/%3Fp%3D213&usg=__2oDkWo2ytwo6ukgYhi119SwpyY0=&h=1063&w=747&sz=84&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=AqvCNGpBvV0WgM:&tbnh=176&tbnw=120&ei=M-L0TcnKN4bFtAaIm52XBg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dforward%2Bfacing%2Btuba%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D981%26bih%3D661%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=768&vpy=-45&dur=2843&hovh=268&hovw=188&tx=45&ty=410&page=1&ndsp=14&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0&biw=981&bih=661

Gibbo there would be covers etc and to be honest rain doesn't do it any harm. It's more because we do a very fast show which makes it slippy on the grass.

How many playersdo you think constitutes the core? I'd say it's 8-10 players. A 5-7 player rotation in matches is quite a lot.

Yeah I'd say so too. I think those 8-10 players will all play 3 of 4 games or so each. The reason why you take on 5 games as opposed to 2 or 3 is to give more players gametime.

Wow! That looks uber-impressive Micky.


Try for Italy. I worry for Russia too Notch. But if that country takes off rugby-wise, they will be some force in the future.

Dunno if they have the infrastructure or are busy with it.

They are 19th in the IRB rankings. Sooo. Not bad.

Their 1st RWC will really help up their profile.

Nice Micky-T!! I'm randomly looking at buying a trumpet to learn, currently tuning my mandolin too so may have to go for a one man band!

Set of symbols between your leg and your laughing so prop

On the way to Wembley now,.its pissing down with rain I am going to get wet tonight, ah well its worth the money

mickyt wrote:Set of symbols between your leg and your laughing so prop

Cherryl Cole would be higher up my list

Well they can be sex symbols then. especially since I slept cymbols wrong

Cymbals?

I don't think i'll get involved in the above comment before it gets bad so I'll just use a simple emoticon:

mickyt wrote:Well they can be sex symbols then. especially since I slept cymbols wrong

That's a somewhat Freudian spelling slip.

mickyt wrote:Well they can be sex symbols then. especially since I slept cymbols wrong

Or spelt

Nottins are you doing the same job as you were before or is this one a career change.

Evenin' All.

Welcome back Micky T. Glad to see you enjoyed yourself. Always a disappointment to go back to work though eh?

Ha apologies for the spelling mistakes earlier. I was half asleep and typing on the ipad.

That's that old bludy tehsaurus dey put in "smart" fones. I heat it. Always switch it off and make my own mistakes..

Oho! What a breakaway try for Russia. 21-14. Game on.

Watching the g.p at the moment, must admit I really don't like the way Hamilton is driving recently seems to bully and push people into dangerous situations.

Ooh, Tebaldi in the bin. 21-16... becomes 21-19! Game very much on.

prop_lyd wrote:Watching the g.p at the moment, must admit I really don't like the way Hamilton is driving recently seems to bully and push people into dangerous situations.

Isn't the aggressive driving part of their tactics Prop (although not putting anyone in danger)? I don't know F1 mind, so I'm probably incorrect.

And now Hamilton gets his comeuppance! Yet parks the car in the middle of a turn when he could have pulled off the track!

Cari wrote:

prop_lyd wrote:Watching the g.p at the moment, must admit I really don't like the way Hamilton is driving recently seems to bully and push people into dangerous situations.

Isn't the aggressive driving part of their tactics Prop (although not putting anyone in danger)? I don't know F1 mind, so I'm probably incorrect.

Aggressive I can deal with but 2 races running now in my opinion he's caused a few incidents and then to come out with the comment he did in post-race interviews just doesn't stand well in my eyes.

Oh I see Prop...what's happening to Button these days? Is he racing today?

Yeah he was one of the ones Hamilton hit! Doing averagely but I really rate him (mainly because we were born in the same hospital!!)

Russia really showing some promise here. Their scrum is weak though and their kicker has missed a few, otherwise they would probably be winning this one.

Russia would be ahead here if they had a better placekicker and/or a scrum. I enjoy watching them immensely.

EDIT; Hah! Robbo, you ninja.

prop_lyd wrote:Yeah he was one of the ones Hamilton hit! Doing averagely but I really rate him (mainly because we were born in the same hospital!!)

He seems more down to earth and chilled out than Hamilton. I think it's just Hamilton always appears so serious.

Great minds!

They've made a couple of breaks in the last few minutes, but the support runners haven't been there. Could still do it here.

They deserve massive credit. They've had their scrum dominated, their hooker has been throwing in squint and their place kicker has missed a few easy ones. Thats why they've lost.

But to get within five points with all that against them is an incredible effort.

Gressev (Russia 6) for man of the match.

And I hope we get Aironi first up during the RWC.

It's miserable here at wembley today, luckily I'm just sitting in a car listening to bob marley and getting paid for it

Easy money Hughie. Don't fall asleep though!

Cleared the place again. Ah well. So long pub.

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

Glas a du wrote:

roddersm wrote:I agree to a point stag but right now I believe there are only two sides who are unquestionably better than us in the league.

On that basis winning the league in the next few seasons is not out of the question. I'd like to see us consistantly finish in the top 5 but if we make the play offs then with a bit off luck and a home SF then anything is possible.

Really? I'd have said 4 at least.

roddersm, you may be right with your claim, but there are 3 or 4 who are pretty closely grouped behind the top two, and games between any of the trailing bunch tend to go with home advantage and the result is often as close as a single score - to compete with the top two, I think you'll have to consistently beat this group, and not slip up against any of the lower order banana skins - now where is that emoticon when you need it?!

That, if you read my posts is exactly what I have been saying. Munster and Leinster are considerably better than we are but I feel we are as good ot better than the chasing pack of Ospreys, Dragons, Scarlets and Cardiff. Certainly none are head and shoulders better than us on current form so we should be aiming for a top 4/5 finish consistantly. Based on our squad that would be a fair reflection of were we are at.

Glas why do you say Ulster over acheived last season? I would argue that we have been underachieving since 2006. Ulster have a proud history and great fan base and should not be happy finishing mid table or below.

Underachieving since 2006? We've been underachieving since the dawn of the professional era. We won more interprovincial titles than anyone else, the top Irish province, then professionalism struck. I finally have some optimism this group can start righting the wrongs.

Yeah fair point notch but 2006 was the last time we won silverware and were playing near to the expected level. Since then we've been nearer the bottom of the league than the top. This is not where a club like Ulster should be and I disagree with anyone who suggests it is.

Have patience. We are on the way back to where we belong.

I have Notch. We are back were we should be I think. The quality of performance is still not there but we are getting results. I think we will be better next year and there is much more to come I'm sure.

Tis only a game.
Just watched 'Billy Elliot';am I pleased to have lived here since 1980

Also saw the 2nd half of Tonga/Saxon, call it a draw?Scarlets seem to have a rough diamond in their hands for next term.

Long holiday weekend here,so not much news:

Marseille and Jonah promoted to Fed1(3rd div)

M Phillips 99% sure at Bayonne

Ma'a Nonu will play in Europe next season,but where?

Sylvain'Two-fingers' Dupuy remains at SF,was talk about USAP:_Fairground attraction,ooops Ferris wheel,has still not recovered


National holiday tomorrow,no strikes in perspective.

I think Ma'a Nonu may yet be persuaded to do a u-turn and sign for another one of the NZ teams. The man has poured fuel on the fire by saying he'd like a move North but he is speaking out of hurt at an emotional time.

Then again, this would be the perfect time for him to leave.

Notch,
I reckon he's speaking sensibly at an economic turn in his life:2/3 seasons up north could top up his pension scheme,and if he's not daft, get him some coaching/promotional set up ,after all,he is/will have been a BIG name

It makes economic sense, but I don't think he'd leave the Hurricanes for the money. The fact that the Hurricanes have fired him... I think he's totally stunned by that and hasn't really considered his future.

I expect him to receive some big offers and he's probably smart enough to know that those won't be on the table in a few years but the All Blacks remain a big draw.

Is 'Sylvain' his French nickname Mick?

I can't believe how depressing the blydi weather is today. What's it like in France?

Notch,I'm not too sure;when you've laid your life:health on the line for your club/franchise, and some one comes up with a offer that outstrips the money you were going to earn over an equal period of time,then you study the proposition very seriously,cos it's the end ofyour professional career as you've known it.And 2/3 years making money in a new environment must be pretty cool

Hound, how're tricks, mon cher?

weather is dry,well,sprinkly showers, but up to 21° this afto.

you planing a french jaunt this summerfor thebash?
Would be great if Wasps get Agen in the Amlin;at least two heavy weekends in the making.
Still have to sort out a NornIron reception in Clermont,and if Chiefs or Sharks get Bayonne or Bordeaux, I'm opening a guest house

Glas why do you say Ulster over acheived last season? I would argue that we have been underachieving since 2006. Ulster have a proud history and great fan base and should not be happy finishing mid table or below.

Because I've never had the feeling that the Ulster team should have been doing better. I did however feel that the synergy of the team and the recent imports for a while saw them doing better than I expected. I don't profess expertise, that's just how I saw it.

Because I've never had the feeling that the Ulster team should have been doing better. I did however feel that the synergy of the team and the recent imports for a while saw them doing better than I expected. I don't profess expertise, that's just how I saw it.


See it,or saw it? Mon cher,times change

Hi all. I have to say I can see after the World Cup having a front row of:

Cian Healy or Paddy McAllister
Rory Best or Sean Cronin
Mike Ross or Jamie Hagan

To me that will be an acceptable level of depth in the front row. Right now though we just do the best we can. Apart from maybe second row and dare I say the option of a controlling 10, it seems to me that Ireland will be a better team 2 years from now than they are at the minute.

Hows everyone today.

BTW - history and fan base is not enough to warrant wins. From 2006 up until last season Ulster were a very average team. A fantastic group of young players, a new coaching team and some shrewd signings have brought them along but Ulster were not exactly great for the last few years.

Really hope Hagan grows as a player at Leinster. It's make or break for him now. He'll either go on to become a very good prop competing for international honours (ala Mike Ross) or he'll go the opposite direction (Bryan Young).

I was so glad to see him leave Connacht, because he was never going to reach the standard needed there. He needs to be working with a good scrum coach at this stage in his career.

And did anybody say we were anything other Stag? You can't really win. If you say your team should have ambition, it's arrogance. We should have ambition to build a set-up long term that's capable of putting us at the level of Leinster and Munster, where we belong. But if you say you want your team to do just that...