The Dew Drop Inn Virtual HEC Final Rugby Pub, Twickenham

First topic message reminder :

Chin chin 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 arrived in London this week for the Heineken Cup final so has stocked up on cucumber sandwiches ( - KRD ) and Pimms.

The only rule in this pub is one of mutual respect for everyone in it, oh and no defacing the pictures of Ruan Pienaar, Stephen Ferris, Jonathon Sexton, Rob Kearney and Jonny Wilkinson (the five nominees for the ERC Player of the Year award), Nigel Owens the HEC final referee or Adam Powell (captain of Llanelli RFC who are playing Ponty in the Welsh club final on Friday). The CCTV snaps of Prop_Lyd and the other Cardiff Saracens players on tour in Croatia are fair game though.



Old Pub: https://www.606v2.com/t28922p950-barrel-s-dew-drop-inn-virtual-rugby-pub-restaurant-luderitz#1218292

PenfroPete wrote:

Risca Rev wrote:

PenfroPete wrote:Just wanted everyone to know – I -

That is all

He's a lovely pooch right enough, but what has he done?

ERC 2013 Final Weekend Golden Tickets (Had an invite from ERC but was not "authorised" to open it in the office) - Baile Átha Cliath here we come

What a ligind!

Risca Rev wrote:Pleased for you too Dreamer. I'll get the babycham on Saturday

You're too kind Rev


Urgh right, logging off, need to attempt to start packing up my room.

You'll be lucky to find Babycham anywhere these days. Large brandies and (dry) Babycham was a great 'kicker' before going clubbing back in the day.

These days it's all shots and Jager bombs.

No class.

It was Thunderbird and Mad Dog 20/20 in my day Hound.

My stomach is at the mere thought of it!

Dreamer, we'll have a celebratory Pimm's on Saturday

G'wan then count me in = have to pick up my ticket from URSC at HQ but will join youse for a wee drop beforehand.

SUFTUM

Swanny - excellent!

IL - nice one

All packed then Dreamer?

I'm looking forward to seeing loads of friends this weekend. That is more important than the match for me.

Well almost anyway

Nice one Rav

I am getting annoyed with waiting now. Packed to go home though, so that's a step in the right direction.

ha, no chance Rava!

Just been sorting through my clothes again, am on my third big bag to take to a charity shop tomorrow, I can't believe how much stuff I have that I just don't wear anymore!

That and I've watched a lot of rubbish tv #procrastinating

I'm so glad I decided to go, really, really looking forward to it now

Camera batteries on charge and memory card cleared in preparation

IL, you'll be made welcome

Just seen this on the news, utterly mind boggling! The power of thought as I had never imagined.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18092653

littleswannygirl wrote:I'm so glad I decided to go, really, really looking forward to it now

Camera batteries on charge and memory card cleared in preparation

IL, you'll be made welcome

Just seen this on the news, utterly mind boggling! The power of thought as I had never imagined.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18092653

Swanny, that gets me into trouble all the time

IL

+1 for swanny's comment.

London welcomes European club rugby this weekend.

I hope we can do as good a job as Cardiff last year (and Penro in particular). Awesome weekend!

Is Mrs P about tonight I am in need of medical assistance

Wire brush and Dettol mate.

The only answer.

Not that type of problem boss. Besides I still have some of those pills left from the last prescription Mrs P procured for me.

Okey dokey.

Hound please remind me of your movements on Friday. Will you be coming down to meet with Pete (PC variety)?

Friday I should be meeting the folk gathering in Hampstead for lunch. Thereafter, Marylebone to meet Andy for the Amlin final. Or off home; if sunk below the waterline in Hampstead.

URGH JUST GETE HOME TO MY BED


although just got to look forward to another night of tossing and turning, sleeping for ten minutes at a time and constantly staring st the roof.



Great

Great Hound. I'll see you in Hampstead

Hoog wrote:URGH JUST GETE HOME TO MY BED


although just got to look forward to another night of tossing and turning, sleeping for ten minutes at a time and constantly staring st the roof.



Great

Sweet dreams there Hoog


Rava - howsaboutye! See you on Friday bud.

Hoog wrote:URGH JUST GETE HOME TO MY BED


although just got to look forward to another night of tossing and turning, sleeping for ten minutes at a time and constantly staring st the roof.



Great

Stop tossing then Hoog. It keeps you awake for hours young man. And... it makes you go blind.

Where's me washboard Ethel?

For the buzz in this Pub and all the people in it...

From an Ulstuurmon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kl_CIiQXVs

I love my roof

Hoog wrote:I love my roof

You mean your ceiling that is a mirror?

Morning pubgoers

It's almost the weekend

Half seven me hole

Ozzy, i think your enthusiasm is running away with you mate. two 8 hour days ahead before there is time to relax.

Snap Biltong, but every minute is a minute closer to meeting up with some of the regs tomorrow evening, so that is good enough for me.

Hoog, quit yer whining, half seven is fecking lay in in my house!!!

Bore da pawb / good morning all, I'll have a if I may.

I'm with Ozzy on this one, Biltong - it's Friday Eve!

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

The rugby world according to Cookie Oosthuizen(ex Springbok prop).

It is largely unknown to players and followers of the modern game that rugby started off purely as a contest for forwards in opposition in line-outs, scrums, rucks and mauls. This pitted eight men of statuesque physique, supreme fitness and superior intelligence in packs against one another.
In those days, the winner was the pack that won the most set pieces. The debasement of the game began when backs were introduced. This occurred because a major problem was where to locate the next scrum or line-out.

Selecting positions on the ground for these had become a constant source of friction and even violence.

The problem was resolved by employing forward rejects, men of small stature and limited intelligence, to run aimlessly around within the field of play.

Following a set piece, the ball would be thrown to one of them, who would establish the next location either by dropping it or by throwing it to another reject for dropping. Very occasionally, a third reject would receive the ball before it would be dropped, and crowds would wildly cheer on these rare occasions. Initially these additional players were entirely disorganized but with the passing of time they adopted set positions.

For instance, take the half-back. He was usually one of the smallest and least intelligent of the backs whose role was simply to accept the ball from a forward and to pass it on to one of the other rejects who would drop it, providing the new location for the forwards to compete. He could easily (given his general size) have been called a quarter forward or a ball monkey but then tolerance and compassion are the keys to forward play and the present euphemism was decided on.

The five-eighth plays next to the half-back and his role is essentially the same except that when pressured, he usually panics and kicks the ball.
Normally, he is somewhat taller and slightly better built than the half-back and hence his name. One-eighth less and he would have been a half-back, three-eighths more and he might well have qualified to become a forward.
The centres were opportunists who had no expertise but wanted to share in the glamour associated with forward packs. After repeated supplication to the forwards for a role in the game they would be told to get out in the middle of the field and wait for instructions. Thus, when asked where they played, they would reply "in the centre". And they remain to this day, parasites and scroungers who mostly work as lawyers or used car dealers.

You may ask, why wingers? The answer is simple. Because these were players who had very little ability and were the lowest in the backline pecking order, they were placed as far away from the ball as possible. Consequently, and because the inside backs were so diligent in their assigned role of dropping the ball whenever they received it, the main contribution to the game made by the winger was not to get involved. Their instructions were to run away as quickly as possible whenever trouble appeared, and to avoid tackles at all costs. The fact that the game was organised so that the wingers didn't get to touch the ball led to an incessant flow of complaints from them and eventually the apt description "whingers" was applied. Even though the "h" dropped off over the years, the whingeing itself unfortunately has not.

Lastly, the full-back. This was the position given to the worst handler, the person least able to accept or pass the ball, someone who was always in the way. The name arose because the forwards would understandably become infuriated by the poor play invariably demonstrated by that person, and call out "send that fool back". He would then be relegated well out of everyone's way to the rear of the field.

So there you have it. Let's return to the glory days of a contest between two packs of eight men of statuesque physique, supreme fitness and superior intelligence.

Asbo, this is brilliant. Can you get me a link for it?

Morning all.

Life's not all reoses after rugby http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10806627

What are you guys doing friday evening?

The HC final is only saturday?

When you've had about two and a half hours sleep through the night Pete half seven can flock right off


but at least its Friday morning anyway

Sleep is for wimps Hoog, sleep is for wimps!

biltongbek wrote:What are you guys doing friday evening?

The HC final is only saturday?

Some of the "regs" are meeting up for lunch on Friday, then some are going across to the Twickenham area to meet Ozzy before some go to the pub and some go to the Stoop, to watch the Amlin Final

I'm leaving Kairdif at 16:25 and getting to Twickenha, station at 19:10

I'm leaving work at 4 and should be in Twickenham about 5.

Hoog wrote:When you've had about two and a half hours sleep through the night Pete half seven can flock right off


but at least its Friday morning anyway

Hate to burst your wee bubble, Hoogy, but it's only Thursday morning, pal!!

Hound_of_Harrow wrote:Wire brush and Dettol mate.

The only answer.

Absolute classic, Hound

Morning all

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0517/1224316238462.html

Bloody southern journalists...

PenfroPete wrote:

biltongbek wrote:What are you guys doing friday evening?

The HC final is only saturday?

Some of the "regs" are meeting up for lunch on Friday, then some are going across to the Twickenham area to meet Ozzy before some go to the pub and some go to the Stoop, to watch the Amlin Final

I'm leaving Kairdif at 16:25 and getting to Twickenha, station at 19:10

NIce, I have to go to Rustenburg this weekend, my son is playing in a school rugby festival there, the whole day, so I have to record all the super XV games and the HC final.

By the way they won again yesterday 25-19. awesome game, 5 tries to 3, but still no kicks to cross the bar.

I keep forgetting that the first Test against the Windies starts today. That marks the beginning of the summer for me.

I bet it rains!

It's Friday to me, no work tomorrow

Man it's hard to concentrate in work today!! Only 7 hours till I'm free to hit the gym then hit the beer

Mickado wrote:http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0517/1224316238462.html

Bloody southern journalists...

Thought that was a lovely article Mick. It challenged quite a few myths that many people still believe about Ulster rugby, particularly in the south.

It could well do, Ozzy! It's always a strange one when we play the Windies because I want them to do well.

prop_lyd wrote:Man it's hard to concentrate in work today!! Only 7 hours till I'm free to hit the gym then hit the beer

Make sure it's in that order, Prop, or you could do yourself an injury!

rodders wrote:

Mickado wrote:http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0517/1224316238462.html

Bloody southern journalists...

Thought that was a lovely article Mick. It challenged quite a few myths that many people still believe about Ulster rugby, particularly in the south.

I agree, it was a good read and a nice contrast to the rubbish published in the Indo this week.

Mickado wrote:http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0517/1224316238462.html

Bloody southern journalists...

The bloody cheek of her, doesn't she know that the long standing agreement is to pi$$ off the nordies? How dare she write a really positive piece about Ulster

It certainly sits more with my experiences of Rugby here and how the club is viewed.

People are really sitting up and taking notice across the province. It's a fantastic time to be an Ulster fan and the publicity generated this season presents a fantastic opportunity for Ulster to expand their fan base.

Regardless of the result on Saturday there are really exciting times ahead for Ulster in the coming seasons I believe. People are really embracing the team and sport in a way I haven't seen before .

All that will disappear Saturday avo after you lose buddy