WC TV rights - Who is showing it

Just a quick question - Who is showing the WC in the UK?

Is it SKY or BBC or ESPN?

ITV.

MBTGOG - That is fanstastic news, thanks. My local pub doesnt have SKY, now all i need to do is convince him to open early!

That might be the tougher aspect to it.

The bad side is that their coverage last time I felt was awful.

Good that it's terrestrial though

Yes - their coverage of the Aviva highlights leaves a lot to be desired.

Does that mean that we are to have WC commentary from Bayfield and Craig Doyle - Nice guys but think I would rather have someone else.

Craig Doyle is awful. I really hope he isn't involved. He should stick to adverts and travel progs.

They got the Sky boys last time so we might get to listen to Stuart Barnes' nuggets of wisdom.


They are mostly about Courtney Lawes though.

I like Stuart Barnes. I do not like Miles Harrison.

I like Craig Doyle and Martin Bayfield actually. Bayfield is good as an in the field reporter so would be wasted in the studio.

I hope Miles Harrison isn't brought in. I like John Taylor and hope they go with him. What I wouldn't be surprised about is if some of the ESPN people are brought in, like Nick Mullins and Ben Kay.

I went to the ITV launch at the last WC.

I got talking to quite a few big names that night - Jonah, Campese, Woodward.

Cracking night thanks to Barclays!

John Taylor's good. Nigel Starmer-Smith's always been a good commentator, but his tendency to develop an Irish accent when pronouncing Irish players' names is a bit cringe-making.

MBTGOG - Not Austin Healy then? He could be garunteed to say something controversial.

propdavid_london wrote:MBTGOG - Not Austin Healy then? He could be garunteed to say something controversial.

Would they want people to say something controversial? I found watching English sports TV, there is an awful lot of agreement.

BBC - Moore and Butler tend to disagree!

On the whole there tends to be alot of agreement (re:SKY pannel of Barnes-Morris-Greenwood).

It's a lot different to Irish sports coverage where we have guys who don't really offer anything inciteful but are there to cause debate i.e. George Hook and Eamon Dunphy.

Thomond wrote:It's a lot different to Irish sports coverage where we have guys who don't really offer anything inciteful but are there to cause debate i.e. George Hook and Eamon Dunphy.

Much more entertaining though.

Yeah,it's entertaining for a while it's great when they actually say something smart.

Thomond wrote:Yeah,it's entertaining for a while it's great when they actually say something smart.

To be fair, they do make sure there are always good points in there with people like Conor O'Shea, John Giles and Graeme Souness contributing.

I hope we get to listen to the SA commentators, they don't sound so biased as some do.

biltongbek wrote:I hope we get to listen to the SA commentators, they don't sound so biased as some do.

Joke?

Apart from Bill MacClaren (what a loss!) I've never heard of any commentator getting good reviews from everyone.

screamingaddabs wrote:Apart from Bill MacClaren (what a loss!) I've never heard of any commentator getting good reviews from everyone.

Certainly true.

MBTGOG wrote:

screamingaddabs wrote:Apart from Bill MacClaren (what a loss!) I've never heard of any commentator getting good reviews from everyone.

Certainly true.

Yep. Commentators may be even less popular than referees

I love JD's specialist punditry when he's asked to "talk us through" a try.

His critical eye normally leads to a clinical analysis that sounds something like this:

"He gets the ball there, goes around the man there, pass and out there, through there, in out, back around and on and there he's gone and try. Simple."

MBTGOG wrote:

biltongbek wrote:I hope we get to listen to the SA commentators, they don't sound so biased as some do.

Joke?

I am quite serious, listen to Chick Henderson you will hear what i mean.

Is Chick Henderson an in-studio analyst or game commentator? The match commentators are the only ones I hear and well.......

He is a commentator, as old as the mountains, but very good.

All I know is that the commentators are very quiet when the opposition score, whether it be an international team or a Super Rugby side from abroad yet get very excited when South Africans score.

MBTGOG wrote:All I know is that the commentators are very quiet when the opposition score, whether it be an international team or a Super Rugby side from abroad yet get very excited when South Africans score.

Not Chick Henderson, he gets excited about anything, the difference for me especially when comparing the Ozzie trio ( they are seriously biased), Henderson doesn't talk up the Boks when they play, he is respectfull to the opposition.

I like the Aussie commentators. There are a couple that are very, very biased but quite funny with it.

They remind me of the blokes off the Fosters 'Good Call' adverts.

Somehow I find it difficult to be offended by Aussie bias and over-enthusiasm.

TheGreyGhost wrote:I love JD's specialist punditry when he's asked to "talk us through" a try.

His critical eye normally leads to a clinical analysis that sounds something like this:

"He gets the ball there, goes around the man there, pass and out there, through there, in out, back around and on and there he's gone and try. Simple."

You forgot to mention the dog leg defence!

SafeAsMilk, I can't stand the Australian commentary set-up. There's too many of them and they talk over each other.

In general, I preferred it when the commentator commentated and the co-commentator added his bit during breaks in play.

Thomond wrote:They got the Sky boys last time so we might get to listen to Stuart Barnes' nuggets of wisdom.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rick O'Shea is the dogs on BBC2 Wales, more comedy than commentating!

I'd have nothing against Brian Moore - he's very fair and passionate. Much as I used to hate his chopsy little mouth when he played, nowdays I've got a lot of time for him. Honest and down to earth. Makes a good double act with Eddie Butler

andy powells minder wrote:Rick O'Shea is the dogs on BBC2 Wales, more comedy than commentating!

I have to disagree. Rick O'Shea is a waste of license fee payers' money.

luckless_pedestrian wrote:

andy powells minder wrote:Rick O'Shea is the dogs on BBC2 Wales, more comedy than commentating!

I have to disagree. Rick O'Shea is a waste of license fee payers' money.

BOOOO!


PS: Sorry, I like Rick - he's a good laugh

This is confirmed:

Commentators: Nick Mullins, Simon Ward, Martin Gillingham, Bob Symonds

Co-Commentators: Alan Quinlan, Scott Hastings, Phil Vickery, Andy Gomarsall

Pundits: Sean Fitzpatrick, Michael Lynagh, Francois Pienaar, Lawrence Dallaglio, Gareth Thomas, Thom Evans.

Presenters: Steve Rider, Martin Bayfield, Craig Doyle

Surprised they goy Quinny he has a thick enough accent. Good list of pundits. Where did you get the list?

Outside of Nick Mullins, I am not a fan of any of those commentators.

I think the thing that made Bill MCClaren great was that he simply told you what was going on with some wonderful similies and metaphors thrown in. He rarely gave speculation any air time. He was also the least biased person to have walked the Earth!

Most commentators now tend to spend a lot of their time giving their own ill informed opinions about stuff whilst getting the facts about what is going on wrong. Some are better than others but they're all flawed.

Thomond, I got it from:

http://www.therugbyblog.co.uk/itv-announce-team-for-rugby-world-cup-2011

That's not too bad At least Daaaaaooowie Morris won't make me with his "I'm english honest guv, apples and pears, ENGLAND, POWER, DOMINATION" routine.

By the way Dewi, it's an 'e' in your name - do you know how 'e' is pronounced. It's not a cross between an 'o' and an 'a' - it's an 'e' - Putting a silly accent on the 'e' doesn't make you any more english alright Dai!

Bob Symonds? Oh dear!

I wonder who will be the co-commentator with Nick Mullins? I'm guessing it will be Gomorsall but can't say for certain.

Presume the games will be spread over the 4 ITVs rather than the one?

cabbagesandbrussels wrote:This is confirmed:
Pundits: Sean Fitzpatrick, Michael Lynagh, Francois Pienaar, Lawrence Dallaglio, Gareth Thomas, Thom Evans.

One of these things, does not belong here...

Thomond wrote:Presume the games will be spread over the 4 ITVs rather than the one?

ITV and ITV4. Just those two I believe.

I have them anyway so it's grand,don't know how many I will see with the time difference although I believe the earliest the majority of games kick off is half 6 which isn't too bad. Of course there are some at half 3 and half 4.