The all new and only slightly recycled off topic thread (read post 1)

OldRio

wprathead wrote: »

very off topic even in the off topic thread but what ever happened to Fishooks13 does anybody know?
was rather good poster i found

Also just noticed that ormond lad closed his account, which was a shame as he was pure encyclepdia of youth rugby in ireland

Probably upset the clique and changed id

durkadurka

wprathead wrote: »

very off topic even in the off topic thread but what ever happened to Fishooks13 does anybody know?
was rather good poster i found

Also just noticed that ormond lad closed his account, which was a shame as he was pure encyclepdia of youth rugby in ireland

Ormond lad isn't dead. He just needs to be found again

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

wprathead wrote: »

very off topic even in the off topic thread but what ever happened to Fishooks13 does anybody know?
was rather good poster i found

Also just noticed that ormond lad closed his account, which was a shame as he was pure encyclepdia of youth rugby in ireland

Well I can confirm that I'm fishooks12, and fishooks13, and trouttrout!

thomond2006

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience wrote: »

Well I can confirm that I'm fishooks12, and fishooks13, and trouttrout!

No you're not. I am.

wp_rathead

..well now i just feel like a gob****e..

P.Walnuts

Fireball07 wrote: »

That's a shock really, Mexico were bloody awful in qualifying, expected NZ to run them close.

Think it shows the difference in class between the federations. Oceania is a very poor standard, Ireland would win out each qualifying campaign almost certainly.

Jordan were also stuffed by Uruguay earlier today, South american teams are generally in a good place right now, so no auto qualifying from that region isn't a disaster

Fireball07

P.Walnuts wrote: »

Think it shows the difference in class between the federations. Oceania is a very poor standard, Ireland would win out each qualifying campaign almost certainly.

Jordan were also stuffed by Uruguay earlier today, South american teams are generally in a good place right now, so no auto qualifying from that region isn't a disaster

NZ were unbeaten in the last WC

P.Walnuts

Fireball07 wrote: »

NZ were unbeaten in the last WC

Paraguay, Slovakia and Italy (who bombed out in the group stages!)

Not exactly a barometer of quality. The only competatitve games they play are against Island teams full on amateurs, it's very hard for them to improve. They would be 5th/6th seeds in European groups i'd imagine

Fireball07

P.Walnuts wrote: »

Paraguay, Slovakia and Italy (who bombed out in the group stages!)

Not exactly a barometer of quality. The only competatitve games they play are against Island teams full on amateurs, it's very hard for them to improve. They would be 5th/6th seeds in European groups i'd imagine

Still, at least as good as an under-performing Mexico, you'd think. NZ shouldn't be losing 5-1 to them.


Paraguay were one of the top teams in SA, Slovakia were pretty solid- had a couple of really good players and Italy are Italy, failed to qualify because of NZ really.

P.Walnuts

Fireball07 wrote: »

Still, at least as good as an under-performing Mexico, you'd think. NZ shouldn't be losing 5-1 to them.


Paraguay were one of the top teams in SA, Slovakia were pretty solid- had a couple of really good players and Italy are Italy, failed to qualify because of NZ really.

NZ were 25/1, the bookies saw them getting hockey's anyway!

Honestly look at who they have been playing for the past 3 years since the WC...Mexico are probably the best team they have played in those 3 years. And don't forget the game was at altitude in front of 80k crowd, it was always gonna be a tough game for them

Fireball07

P.Walnuts wrote: »

NZ were 25/1, the bookies saw them getting hockey's anyway!

Honestly look at who they have been playing for the past 3 years since the WC...Mexico are probably the best team they have played in those 3 years. And don't forget the game was at altitude in front of 80k crowd, it was always gonna be a tough game for them

I get all that...but they did get to the last WC in similar circumstances.


So I think they can be disappointed.

Swiwi.

Fireball07 wrote: »

NZ were unbeaten in the last WC

The last world cup we had Ryan Nelson, who was an English premiership defender, and made several teams of the tournament in defence.

Compare to last night, where we made several schoolboy errors that cost us goals. Our midfield was desperate too - each time we got the ball, we either sent the speculative longball, or Mexico would crowd the player, he would panic, and give up possession.

However, I'm fully expecting us to do well at home, and win 6-5 on aggregate :pac:

durkadurka

durkadurka wrote: »

Ormond lad isn't dead. He just needs to be found again

Some very good users have come and gone over the years, a few return (a few return a few times!) but guys like ormond lad, Losty Dublin and The Lost Sheep who are genuine worthwhile contributors first and users second are really important.

Hope he makes a re-appearance.

dregin

GerM used to be good for the old analysis too.

lots of American Football fans in here too.

I love this kind of stuff, people questioning common thoughts and realising how the 'norm' of "playing the percentages" is incorrect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGDaOJAYHfo

This video about a coach who refuses to let his team punt. They never kick ball away.

A lot of this is reflexive in game theory. Because teams are so used to other teams punting they don't actually develop good onside kick defense and skills. This can actually make the onside kick a far more useful weapon, or going for a 4th and long.

As teams begin to adapt and realise that the team they're playing against are using the onside kick successfully, the defense of the onside kick increases, which actually means that opportunities outside onside kicking arise. And the cycle switches away from the onside, rinse and repeat.

For a rugby reference, look at the rise to prominence and fame of the Wilkinson / Steyn drop goal, and as a result, the increased importance in defending from your 10m line as opposed to previously being "okay" to defend up to the 22m. Note how this will eventually result in players like O'Gara and the sweeping corner kicking returning to the game as defensive high lines result in gaps opening behind them.

The development of "game" within sports is fascinating really.

Podge_irl

Surprise onside kicks are surprisingly effective - but this is partly due to their rarity.

Considering the amount of stats available, some of the things they do in the NFL drive me mad. In particular coaches are terrible at deciding when to attempt 2 point conversions (they should do it a lot more then they do) and a lot of that has as much to do with not wanting to look silly if it fails as anything else.

OldRio

Thanks emmet.
Fascinating stuff.

Grimebox

Deleted User wrote: »

The development of "game" within sports is fascinating really.

I believe that is referred to as the metagame

Hagz

Deleted User wrote: »

Some very good users have come and gone over the years, a few return (a few return a few times!) but guys like ormond lad, Losty Dublin and The Lost Sheep who are genuine worthwhile contributors first and users second are really important.

Hope he makes a re-appearance.

Fireball07

Swiwi. wrote: »

The last world cup we had Ryan Nelson, who was an English premiership defender, and made several teams of the tournament in defence.

Compare to last night, where we made several schoolboy errors that cost us goals. Our midfield was desperate too - each time we got the ball, we either sent the speculative longball, or Mexico would crowd the player, he would panic, and give up possession.

However, I'm fully expecting us to do well at home, and win 6-5 on aggregate :pac:

Yeah, but where was Winston Reid?


He's a better defender than Nelsen was imo, quality player. A lot of the names involved this time round seem the same.

And Mexico dropped all their European players too- likes of Hernandez, Dos Santos, Guardado....went for a complelely Mexico-based team which obviously worked.

matthew8

Mexico have a historically outstanding record at home. For instance, the US have played in the stadium Azteca 23 times, drawing once and losing 22 times.

Fireball07

matthew8 wrote: »

Mexico have a historically outstanding record at home. For instance, the US have played in the stadium Azteca 23 times, drawing once and losing 22 times.

This is true.


However....in the final round of this qualifying campaign at home, they drew 0-0 three times (to the US, Costa Rica and Jamaica), lost to Honduras 2-1 and won only one game...against Panama. 2-1.


Would you not consider NZ better than Panama? I certainly would.

P.Walnuts

Fireball07 wrote: »

Would you not consider NZ better than Panama? I certainly would.

Certainly not imo. They are probably fairly equal, but I would give the edge to Panama.

They finished 5th out of 6 in the qualifying group containing America, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and Jamaica. Record of W 1 D 5 L 4. They were very competitive.

NZ qualifying group was New Caladonia, Tahiti and Soloman Islands, they are incomparable.

The main difference is NZ just are not used to playing high quality opposition, in competitive situations

Fireball07

P.Walnuts wrote: »

Certainly not imo. They are probably fairly equal, but I would give the edge to Panama.

They finished 5th out of 6 in the qualifying group containing America, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and Jamaica. Record of W 1 D 5 L 4. They were very competitive.

NZ qualifying group was New Caladonia, Tahiti and Soloman Islands, they are incomparable.

The main difference is NZ just are not used to playing high quality opposition, in competitive situations

I watched the Mexico-USA game, where the US won 2-0...Mexico were awful. I know Panama did well competitively this time, but they don't really have any players playing at a particularly high level either.


And NZ didn't get to play competitive games, but they still manage to lose to New Caledonia (which maybe is an indicator of where they are at, I don't know) but they did qualify from a group in similar circumstances last time. They beat Bahrain in a play-off, who may not be Mexico, but going off the competitive thing, they had done decently against Australia and Japan.

And then NZ, in the WC, did better than the likes of Honduras who did well in the CONCACAF qualifiers.


I think this result is very disappointing for NZ.

Swiwi.

dregin wrote: »

GerM used to be good for the old analysis too.

Yeah, I really miss GerM

Swiwi.

Fireball07 wrote: »

Yeah, but where was Winston Reid?


He's a better defender than Nelsen was imo, quality player. A lot of the names involved this time round seem the same.

And Mexico dropped all their European players too- likes of Hernandez, Dos Santos, Guardado....went for a complelely Mexico-based team which obviously worked.

Injured

Buer

Fireball07

Swiwi. wrote: »

Injured

Ah right, well that was a big loss. He's a very classy defender.

Swiwi.

Swiwi. wrote: »

Yeah, I really miss GerM

I should have said, though, better the devil you know than the one you don't...

CatFromHue

Anyone watching the show on RTE about Home and Away?

It's great!

irishbucsfan

CatFromHue wrote: »

Anyone watching the show on RTE about Home and Away?

It's great!

Is it Home and Away?

CatFromHue

Ha no Home and Away is ****.

This show on it is great though.

Grimebox

Is that the documentary based on the Australian surf diner?

Teferi

A line in Swiwi's reminded me to post this:

Alone It Stands is on in the Bord Gais Energy Theatre next friday, tickets are reasonable - starting around €15. It's a fantastic, hilarious play and if you haven't seen it I'd urge you to go. It's about Munster's victory over the All Blacks if you haven't heard of the play before.

Maybe if enough of us go maybe that Munster luck might rub off on us and we might get the rub of the green come the Sunday...

Howard Juneau

Anything with that drag queen Vogue should be avoided like the plague

CatFromHue

Howard Juneau wrote: »

Anything with that drag queen Vogue should be avoided like the plague

She looked well in a fair few of the outfits she'd on tonight...............

molloyjh

Anyone else seen/watching that French show The Returned? Got the loan of series one on DVD and I have to say I'm hooked.....

irishbucsfan

molloyjh wrote: »

Anyone else seen/watching that French show The Returned? Got the loan of series one on DVD and I have to say I'm hooked.....

What sort of show are we talking about here?

molloyjh

irishbucsfan wrote: »

What sort of show are we talking about here?

A little French town in the alps suddenly starts finding that people who had been dead for years are, well, "returning" home. The dead people are exactly as they were (or are they?) and don't realise they are/were dead straight away. All the while a serial killer is on the loose and all these people have to come to terms with what's going on. It's fascinating and eerie all at the same time. There's this overriding sense of dread probably due to the music by Mogwai and it's paced brilliantly.

EDIT: And yes it's subtitled.

CatFromHue

That sounds really good.

Especially if you liked Stephen Kings Pet Sematary novel.

molloyjh

CatFromHue wrote: »

That sounds really good.

Especially if you liked Stephen Kings Pet Sematary novel.

Never actually read that one tbh. May need to add it to the list. Some of his novels have been really excellent despite the poor treatment they get on TV and film (Under the Dome being a major case in point).

This show bears a resemblance to Handling the Dead by the guy that wrote Let the Right One In. Really interesting stuff. I've just finished episode 5 and will be parking myself in front of the box tomorrow for some more.

irishbucsfan

I definitely want to watch that now. A nice way to brush up on my French as I'll be heading over there shortly and I'll need some insults to throw around at the locals.

Hagz

Anyone here every played American Football? I was thinking of giving it a go next year in college. Similar to rugby? More or less physical etc?

CatFromHue

Pet Semetary would be one of the best King novels if you ask me. It's a relatively simple story but very well told and you do get engrossed in it.

I wouldn't recommend it for people who are expecting or have very young children though.

Teferi

Hagz wrote: »

Anyone here every played American Football? I was thinking of giving it a go next year in college. Similar to rugby? More or less physical etc?

I've took it up this year, handy enough with my rugby season as the Football is on a Sunday so it doesn't get in the way. Physicality is much the same tbh. If you have played rugby a lot of the basics in American Football go against everything you have been taught in rugby. I've played rugby since I was 8 years old and the form tackle in american football just feels wrong to my very bones.

irishbucsfan

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/brian-cashman-yankees-won-t-sign-brian-wilson-213940564--mlb.html

This is a mad story. I'd like to think Gordon D'Arcy's is worth more.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

irishbucsfan wrote: »

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/brian-cashman-yankees-won-t-sign-brian-wilson-213940564--mlb.html

This is a mad story. I'd like to think Gordon D'Arcy's is worth more.

that's a bad beard!

.ak

molloyjh wrote: »

A little French town in the alps suddenly starts finding that people who had been dead for years are, well, "returning" home. The dead people are exactly as they were (or are they?) and don't realise they are/were dead straight away. All the while a serial killer is on the loose and all these people have to come to terms with what's going on. It's fascinating and eerie all at the same time. There's this overriding sense of dread probably due to the music by Mogwai and it's paced brilliantly.

EDIT: And yes it's subtitled.

Sounds good will give it a bash!

justsomebloke

any beard mocking will lead to instant bans

signed.
mod with beard

ssaye2

http://www.joe.ie/rugby/rugby-news/video-this-is-why-you-dont-fck-with-cian-healy/