RugbyRebels

It’s the right move. Having watched Townsend get promoted too quickly after winning one domestic championship in particularly glad to see that he has his sights set higher. I can’t picture him moving clubs unless it’s abroad, but taking Exeter to some serious success in Europe would be a big statement.

Agreed. I think test rugby should come later in a coach’s career, once they’ve truly honed their craft. I don’t think it’s a massive coincidence that the majority of the best coaches are well in to their 50s if not older. This business of fast-tracking former players in to the top jobs is not for me.

One English coach who gets zero attention but is worth a mention is Dan McFarland. I’m not suggesting him for any imminent role with England, but he seems to be totally off radar at the moment (probably because he’s spent the majority of his career working with other nations/overseas clubs).

My wife’s family are Ulster season ticket holders so I’ve had more exposure than the average English fan and he’s been doing some very good work there. He’s taken them from being a flaky, inconsistent team to being Pro14 contenders and being very competitive in the Champions Cup. To win something ahead of Leinster would be a huge achievement, but even without that, it’s fairly rare to see an English coach performing at the highest levels of club rugby outside of England.

Scrumhead wrote:Agreed. I think test rugby should come later in a coach’s career, once they’ve truly honed their craft. I don’t think it’s a massive coincidence that the majority of the best coaches are well in to their 50s if not older. This business of fast-tracking former players in to the top jobs is not for me.

One English coach who gets zero attention but is worth a mention is Dan McFarland. I’m not suggesting him for any imminent role with England, but he seems to be totally off radar at the moment (probably because he’s spent the majority of his career working with other nations/overseas clubs).

My wife’s family are Ulster season ticket holders so I’ve had more exposure than the average English fan and he’s been doing some very good work there. He’s taken them from being a flaky, inconsistent team to being Pro14 contenders and being very competitive in the Champions Cup. To win something ahead of Leinster would be a huge achievement, but even without that, it’s fairly rare to see an English coach performing at the highest levels of club rugby outside of England.

He does seem to be doing very well.

I’d add to that he’s also been seen as a massive loss when leaving Scotland.

Stom wrote:

Digby wrote:

Banquo wrote: blimey

The first snowball of the Christmas season was consumed last Saturday, but a very basic one made with just advocaat, lemonade and lime. Sadly fresh lime as I couldn't find the lime cordial, and this is one of those rare occasions the lime cordial is the better option, imo.

So for at least part of Saturday I was in a good mood, at least until I found some of the teenagers in the family were raiding my single malt collection, I can live with that in part, but they were adding coke to their whisky and that's not acceptable.

Whether it's really time to get stuck into Christmas drinking, or whether it'd be wiser to wait until next weekend I've not really decided yet. But long story short if my posts start to make even less sense than usual, and I'd like to think there's room, there could be a reason

Edit - my apologies, and just to confirm I'm not a total savage the snowball did of course also include a maraschino cherry or two

Lol, as I was in the UK, I introduced my mother to a negroni, at which point she decided it was her new favorite drink and demanded I make it every day. Along with snowballs and Prosecco. Now I’m home I’ll go back to gin sour and old fashioned

What's all this poncy drink stuff?
What's wrong wi' bitter (OK- the odd girly lager at a pinch, for some of the backs) Guinness, or whiskey?
That's all you could get in the clubhouse in't olden days.
And it were pure blooody luxury, too.

Spiffy wrote:

Stom wrote:

Digby wrote:
The first snowball of the Christmas season was consumed last Saturday, but a very basic one made with just advocaat, lemonade and lime. Sadly fresh lime as I couldn't find the lime cordial, and this is one of those rare occasions the lime cordial is the better option, imo.

So for at least part of Saturday I was in a good mood, at least until I found some of the teenagers in the family were raiding my single malt collection, I can live with that in part, but they were adding coke to their whisky and that's not acceptable.

Whether it's really time to get stuck into Christmas drinking, or whether it'd be wiser to wait until next weekend I've not really decided yet. But long story short if my posts start to make even less sense than usual, and I'd like to think there's room, there could be a reason

Edit - my apologies, and just to confirm I'm not a total savage the snowball did of course also include a maraschino cherry or two

Lol, as I was in the UK, I introduced my mother to a negroni, at which point she decided it was her new favorite drink and demanded I make it every day. Along with snowballs and Prosecco. Now I’m home I’ll go back to gin sour and old fashioned

What's all this poncy drink stuff?
What's wrong wi' bitter (OK- the odd girly lager at a pinch, for some of the backs) Guinness, or whiskey?
That's all you could get in the clubhouse in't olden days.
And it were pure blooody luxury, too.

Can't drink beer anymore

It’s PC gone mad.

Spiffy wrote:

Stom wrote:

Digby wrote:
The first snowball of the Christmas season was consumed last Saturday, but a very basic one made with just advocaat, lemonade and lime. Sadly fresh lime as I couldn't find the lime cordial, and this is one of those rare occasions the lime cordial is the better option, imo.

So for at least part of Saturday I was in a good mood, at least until I found some of the teenagers in the family were raiding my single malt collection, I can live with that in part, but they were adding coke to their whisky and that's not acceptable.

Whether it's really time to get stuck into Christmas drinking, or whether it'd be wiser to wait until next weekend I've not really decided yet. But long story short if my posts start to make even less sense than usual, and I'd like to think there's room, there could be a reason

Edit - my apologies, and just to confirm I'm not a total savage the snowball did of course also include a maraschino cherry or two

Lol, as I was in the UK, I introduced my mother to a negroni, at which point she decided it was her new favorite drink and demanded I make it every day. Along with snowballs and Prosecco. Now I’m home I’ll go back to gin sour and old fashioned

What's all this poncy drink stuff?
What's wrong wi' bitter (OK- the odd girly lager at a pinch, for some of the backs) Guinness, or whiskey?
That's all you could get in the clubhouse in't olden days.
And it were pure blooody luxury, too.

Bitter? Luxury! But then we had it tough in sussex. If we were lucky the club barman would have strained a puddle before the match finished. Otherwise we 'ad to 'ave i' wi' clods in. But we were glad for it.

Mr Mwenda wrote:

Spiffy wrote:

Stom wrote:
Lol, as I was in the UK, I introduced my mother to a negroni, at which point she decided it was her new favorite drink and demanded I make it every day. Along with snowballs and Prosecco. Now I’m home I’ll go back to gin sour and old fashioned

What's all this poncy drink stuff?
What's wrong wi' bitter (OK- the odd girly lager at a pinch, for some of the backs) Guinness, or whiskey?
That's all you could get in the clubhouse in't olden days.
And it were pure blooody luxury, too.

Bitter? Luxury! But then we had it tough in sussex. If we were lucky the club barman would have strained a puddle before the match finished. Otherwise we 'ad to 'ave i' wi' clods in. But we were glad for it.

I grew up in the West Midlands, we had Ansells, M&B, Banks's... don't come here with your luxury tales of Sussex puddle water

You can get bathams at the unicorn just up the road from stourton if you'd picked the right club.

Digby wrote:

Mr Mwenda wrote:

Spiffy wrote:
What's all this poncy drink stuff?
What's wrong wi' bitter (OK- the odd girly lager at a pinch, for some of the backs) Guinness, or whiskey?
That's all you could get in the clubhouse in't olden days.
And it were pure blooody luxury, too.

Bitter? Luxury! But then we had it tough in sussex. If we were lucky the club barman would have strained a puddle before the match finished. Otherwise we 'ad to 'ave i' wi' clods in. But we were glad for it.

I grew up in the West Midlands, we had Ansells, M&B, Banks's... don't come here with your luxury tales of Sussex puddle water

You left out Davenports....and Marstons...

Banquo wrote:

Digby wrote:

Mr Mwenda wrote:
Bitter? Luxury! But then we had it tough in sussex. If we were lucky the club barman would have strained a puddle before the match finished. Otherwise we 'ad to 'ave i' wi' clods in. But we were glad for it.

I grew up in the West Midlands, we had Ansells, M&B, Banks's... don't come here with your luxury tales of Sussex puddle water

You left out Davenports....and Marstons...

I feel hard done by you've ignored my use of ellipsis and then immediately used ellipses, will justice never prevail?

(also I don't know Davenports especially well, worth tracking down a case or two for Christmas?)

Do people really still drink guinness?

Why not?

I'd still happily drink stout, though I prefer an ale or bitter

Digby wrote:

Banquo wrote:

Digby wrote:
I grew up in the West Midlands, we had Ansells, M&B, Banks's... don't come here with your luxury tales of Sussex puddle water

You left out Davenports....and Marstons...

I feel hard done by you've ignored my use of ellipsis and then immediately used ellipses, will justice never prevail?

(also I don't know Davenports especially well, worth tracking down a case or two for Christmas?)

used to be a very fine draft beer much sought after when I was at Uni chez Brum. Not even sure it exists as a brewery any more tbh.

twitchy wrote:Do people really still drink guinness?

Yes. Lots of it.

I imagine you guys going to work on penny farthings.

Digby wrote:
I grew up in the West Midlands, we had Ansells, M&B, Banks's... don't come here with your luxury tales of Sussex puddle water

Mitchell's and Butlers mild was the drink for !y Dad and Grandad so the first drink I was introduced to!

twitchy wrote:I imagine you guys going to work on penny farthings.

Penny farthings! We had to crawl 10 miles to work on broken glass, cinders and white dog turds. Uphill all the way and uphill on the way home again too. Unless we were lucky enough to get a lift on the barbed wire carrier of our dad's bike.

oldbackrow wrote:

Digby wrote:
I grew up in the West Midlands, we had Ansells, M&B, Banks's... don't come here with your luxury tales of Sussex puddle water

Mitchell's and Butlers mild was the drink for !y Dad and Grandad so the first drink I was introduced to!

Mild is clearly the work of the devil. So bad if presented with a choice of M&B Mild or Carling I don't know which I'd pick, if I wasn't allowed to reject both

Digby wrote:

oldbackrow wrote:

Digby wrote:
I grew up in the West Midlands, we had Ansells, M&B, Banks's... don't come here with your luxury tales of Sussex puddle water

Mitchell's and Butlers mild was the drink for !y Dad and Grandad so the first drink I was introduced to!

Mild is clearly the work of the devil. So bad if presented with a choice of M&B Mild or Carling I don't know which I'd pick, if I wasn't allowed to reject both

Banks's mixed was a very fine pint.

Gloskarlos wrote:

twitchy wrote:Do people really still drink guinness?

Yes. Lots of it.

Top drink for a long session.

Banquo wrote:

Digby wrote:

oldbackrow wrote: Mitchell's and Butlers mild was the drink for !y Dad and Grandad so the first drink I was introduced to!

Mild is clearly the work of the devil. So bad if presented with a choice of M&B Mild or Carling I don't know which I'd pick, if I wasn't allowed to reject both

Banks's mixed was a very fine pint.

Sometimes if I wasn't such an optimist I'd despair for this world

Harvey's Best is best as the name suggests.

Batham's is a cracking drink in the black country.

Guinness will forever have its place for those occasions one looks across the bar and there's nothing else but rotten lager and strange craft beer flavoured with random shit the brewers found by the canal.

I had a murphys yesterday and i wasn't in that random bit of ireland where it is drunk. Curious times.

Mild is nice.

Digby wrote:

Banquo wrote:

Digby wrote:
Mild is clearly the work of the devil. So bad if presented with a choice of M&B Mild or Carling I don't know which I'd pick, if I wasn't allowed to reject both

Banks's mixed was a very fine pint.

Sometimes if I wasn't such an optimist I'd despair for this world

er lol. and don't knock what you haven't tried? Do you have children