Italy v Wales Commentary

Watching the game I wasn’t sure what was happening, I was a few beers in so I wasn’t sure what I was hearing. Re-watching the game I quite enjoyed the commentary by Huw Llywelyn Davies, I’m sure that he's normally the guy who does the games for S4C and thought that he did very well switching languages at half time as I assume he would have done the first half for S4C. I know that there is a group of people on this forum who dislike certain aspects of the BBC coverage; typically it is aimed at Jiffy, Butler and Moore. Did you enjoy the difference in commentary offered by Davies? How do you feel about Shane stepping in, did he do well? Thoughts in general.

Andrew Cotter the designated commentator had to leave during the anthems as he was unwell. Thus for the first half Jiffy who was meant to just be the contributor was thrown into a job he is not trained for.

He did OK really.

Commentating is very different from being the expert commenter, so it's not something Jiffy will have done much of before. Considering the circumstances it was a decent effort, but it did feel a bit one-sided with Jiffy and Shane (understandably) focussing mostly on the Welsh performance.

Probably would have been less of an issue in a home nations match, where a second expert representing the other side could have been brought in more readily.

I thought Jiffy was actually ok as a stand-in. Fairly amusing and self-deprecating.

Shane is pretty awful though (everything is 'great' or 'not great' with him).

They were incredibly biased though and it seemed like two fans cheering on their side. They're both amateurs so we shouldn't be too harsh.

I think the BBC need to look at having a reserve commentator on stand-by at all 6N games now.

I watched the first half on S4C, but when I flicked on to the BBC at half time and saw that they'd nabbed Huw Llywelyn Davies, I stayed with the Beeb for the second half. (Gwyn Jones is a good co-commentator on S4C, but not great as a main commentator.) Huw was good as he always is, but it was amusing to hear him repeat in the second half all the stats and facts he'd already told us in the first half!

He used to commentate for BBC Wales years ago: it was usually him and JJ Williams.

How do BBC get priority? Do they pay more? Was Huw negotiating a cash-in-hand deal behind the scenes at half time?

Did S4C demand compo?

I meant to post something on this yesterday, first off Huw Llewellyn Davies is a good commentator but I was hoping Jiffy would have spilt the beans on Scrum V last night.

He stuck to the party line that Cotter ate something dodgy but I reckon it was a few to many vinos on the Friday night lol.

Was talking to Mr Cotter on Sunday, was a 24 hour bug so was probably due to some dodgy food rather than a hangover or anything like norovirus!

I particularly liked the bit where Llewellyn Davies pointed out that most of the Welsh backs were actually English - one-eyed Jiffy didn't like that at all

I actually really enjoyed having Jiffy as the prime commentator.

It's the BBC so there's hardly likely to be many Italians watching the game and you can guarantee that they'll be pretty much the same on their tv station.

Jiffy was witty, smart and pretty self depreciating, yes he was one sided but not massively and when (the few times) Italy did contribute he tried his best to talk about what was usually a poor kick to touch or a Welsh wing.

Much prefer an upbeat obviously passionate semi-fan talking through the game then the grating wingeathon/cuphalfempty speal that we get with England matches.

A World Cup and 3 Finals wrote:I particularly liked the bit where Llewellyn Davies pointed out that three of the Welsh backs were actually born in England

Fixed that for you.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

A World Cup and 3 Finals wrote:I particularly liked the bit where Llewellyn Davies pointed out that three of the Welsh backs were actually born in England

Fixed that for you.

LP,

Who were the 3? Rather who was thew third, I know North and Cuthbert were.

Jonathan Davies - born in Solihull.

We'll take George but you can have the other 2

Well I never, didn't realise that thought he was Turk through and through.

A World Cup and 3 Finals wrote:We'll take George but you can have the other 2

We'll swap one of our foreigners for one of yours, after all we both have enough to choose from.

Well he is: born to Welsh parents and a Welsh-speaker too (not that that proves anything). But to some people, all that matters is that he was born in England.

LP,

People and glass houses etc no one these days can honestly claim to be able to put a team out full of players all born n bred in their country etc.

bedfordwelsh wrote:

A World Cup and 3 Finals wrote:We'll take George but you can have the other 2

We'll swap one of our foreigners for one of yours, after all we both have enough to choose from.

Deal, we'll have North you van have Waldron.

BTW, sorry for ignorance but why "Turk"?

A World Cup and 3 Finals wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:

A World Cup and 3 Finals wrote:We'll take George but you can have the other 2

We'll swap one of our foreigners for one of yours, after all we both have enough to choose from.

Deal, we'll have North you van have Waldron.

BTW, sorry for ignorance but why "Turk"?

Another Saffer!

Think of the positives, he'll make Adam Jones look athletic.

No we'll have Barritt thank you very much.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

A World Cup and 3 Finals wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:

A World Cup and 3 Finals wrote:We'll take George but you can have the other 2

We'll swap one of our foreigners for one of yours, after all we both have enough to choose from.

Deal, we'll have North you van have Waldron.

BTW, sorry for ignorance but why "Turk"?

Another Saffer!

Luckless - at least get it right, he's one of our Kiwis, not a Saffer at all (and we only have the one of those at the moment...)

Obviously the whole issue with 'national' identity within Britain is quite a can of worms because we are one country for administrative and economic purposes even if there are the four 'traditional' nations.

Actually, I don't think England have had a Welsh or Scottish-born player in the side for quite a while - I'm sure there's been a Welsh one since Dewi Morris, but I can't think who at the moment, and I honestly can't remember the last Scottish born England international (obviously more go the other directions simply because of population).

dummy_half wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

A World Cup and 3 Finals wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:

A World Cup and 3 Finals wrote:We'll take George but you can have the other 2

We'll swap one of our foreigners for one of yours, after all we both have enough to choose from.

Deal, we'll have North you van have Waldron.

BTW, sorry for ignorance but why "Turk"?

Another Saffer!

Luckless - at least get it right, he's one of our Kiwis, not a Saffer at all (and we only have the one of those at the moment...)

It was meant to be a joke - You van have Waldrom sounded like an Afrikaner name, like Joost van der Westhuizen.



Never mind!

LP, don't worry I got it.

dummy_half wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

A World Cup and 3 Finals wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:

A World Cup and 3 Finals wrote:We'll take George but you can have the other 2

We'll swap one of our foreigners for one of yours, after all we both have enough to choose from.

Deal, we'll have North you van have Waldron.

BTW, sorry for ignorance but why "Turk"?

Another Saffer!

Luckless - at least get it right, he's one of our Kiwis, not a Saffer at all (and we only have the one of those at the moment...)

Obviously the whole issue with 'national' identity within Britain is quite a can of worms because we are one country for administrative and economic purposes even if there are the four 'traditional' nations.

Actually, I don't think England have had a Welsh or Scottish-born player in the side for quite a while - I'm sure there's been a Welsh one since Dewi Morris, but I can't think who at the moment, and I honestly can't remember the last Scottish born England international (obviously more go the other directions simply because of population).

Josh Lewsey/ Martin Corry? Tom Palmer played for Scotland u18's I think?

Jiffy was one sided?

Wasn't Barnes and Callard Welsh born or did both just spend some of school time here.

Am pretty sure both played their early rugby in and around the Newport area.

Josh Lewsey was born in Wales wasn't he ? and his mother was Welsh, or am I thinking of somebody different. Or am I thinkink of Lewis Moody.

Corry was born in Birmingham (at least if Wikipedia is to be believed), although I think has a Welsh parent.

Lewsey is English-born, although Wiki has him as being Welsh-qualified through his mother and one of his father's grandparents.

Callard was born in Leicester but raised in Newport

Palmer is quite interesting - born in London but raised initially in Kenya and then Edinburgh before taking a gap year to go and play in NZ. Represented both Scotland and NZ in age group / schoolboy rugby, but played professionally in England (picked up by Leeds from University there) and now France.

From a fairly cursory search, it looks like Dewi probably was the last Welsh-born England international (with Simon Halliday just preceding him). Bracken from Ireland and I haven't found a Scotland-born player yet (there must be a few).

Mako Vunipola has a brilliant Welsh accent. Complete mindfeck when you think about it. Born in New Zealand to a Tongan father, brought up in Wales, plays for England!

Effervescing Elephant wrote:Mako Vunipola has a brilliant Welsh accent. Complete mindfeck when you think about it. Born in New Zealand to a Tongan father, brought up in Wales, plays for England!

Always like guys where their voices and appearance just don't compute. Castrogiovanni is another one - looks like Captain Caveman's uglier brother but is really gently and quietly spoken (at least in English).

Stuart Barnes went to Bassaleg Comp on the outskirts of Zooport aye.

Huw Llewellyn Davies did used to do commentary with JJ. I liked him. Wasn't such a fan of JJ to be honest.

Jiffy did well in my opinion. Not an easy job. To me commentary is just background noise anyway, so people getting wound up over lack of impartiality should probably try concentrating on the game more. Might all become as knowledgable as me then.

Risca Rev wrote:Stuart Barnes went to Bassaleg Comp on the outskirts of Zooport aye.

Huw Llewellyn Davies did used to do commentary with JJ. I liked him. Wasn't such a fan of JJ to be honest.

Jiffy did well in my opinion. Not an easy job. To me commentary is just background noise anyway, so people getting wound up over lack of impartiality should probably try concentrating on the game more. Might all become as knowledgable as me then.

Rev,

Was barnes born in Newport or just schooled, JJ always struck me as a very bitter reporter and journalist.

Just schooled I think.

dummy_half wrote:

Effervescing Elephant wrote:Mako Vunipola has a brilliant Welsh accent. Complete mindfeck when you think about it. Born in New Zealand to a Tongan father, brought up in Wales, plays for England!

Always like guys where their voices and appearance just don't compute. Castrogiovanni is another one - looks like Captain Caveman's uglier brother but is really gently and quietly spoken (at least in English).

I agree, it's always funny when the voices don't match. The last time I heard Manu Tuilagi talk he could barely string a sentence together (lack of media skills and nerves rather than a language barrier). However, was surprised he hear him speak the other day after the England France game and he has a bit of a northern accent! Brilliant!

There was a guy, I think linked to cricket, who was white with a Jamaican accent. May have been a commentator. Now that was brilliant! Completely unexpected.

Yes, he did TMS.

Lewsey's mother is from Cwmllynfell and Corry's mother is from Llandeilo.

A world cup and 3 finals? A world cup and two finals or 3 finals and we won one of them surely would be correct?

Also could you please explain in depth to me the path England took to the 2003 final?
Or did you just watch the final with your dad? because you must have been around five years old back then.

Griff wrote:There was a guy, I think linked to cricket, who was white with a Jamaican accent. May have been a commentator. Now that was brilliant! Completely unexpected.

Probably thinking of Tony Cozier the great West Indian commentator. White with a really rich Bajan accent. Born and bred in Barbados.

That's him LT, a big shock when I put the face to the voice! But why not I suppose, if you live there you'll get the accent. Like Toby Faletau and his sort of welsh accent, and Tullagi with the northern twang.

There's a Sikh (I think) chef on Great British Menu with a strong Glasgow accent. It's brilliant, and just something you don't expect before you hear him speak!

A different shock was Duncan Jones, he of the other half of hair bears prop fame. He looks like he's going to be a bit of a gruff, grizzled bloke but speaks in a bit of a soft, high pitched, effeminate voice! Funny!

viewtothegym wrote:A world cup and 3 finals? A world cup and two finals or 3 finals and we won one of them surely would be correct?

Also could you please explain in depth to me the path England took to the 2003 final?
Or did you just watch the final with your dad? because you must have been around five years old back then.

Hush now View the grown ups are talking.

Cyril on 606v2 wrote: They're both amateurs so we shouldn't be too harsh.

Amateurs in the sense that they both get paid and one of thems been doing it for a decade as his primary source of income?

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:

Cyril on 606v2 wrote: They're both amateurs so we shouldn't be too harsh.

Amateurs in the sense that they both get paid and one of thems been doing it for a decade as his primary source of income?

Amateurish?

Griff mate, Tony Cozier was born and has pretty much (apart from a spell at uni) lived his whole life in Barbados.

You were aware there are white West Indians surely?

I'm not a cricket fan to be honest. Just remember years ago watching some cricket, hearing a guy with a West Indian accent, then was surprised that he was white. Mainly because I haven't heard many/any white people with that accent before. Still havent. That's why I've recalled it for this thread. Just as others have pointed out their pleasant surprise at those of Tongan and Samoan decent having welsh accents, etc. It's just different, and sometimes unusual. Nothing more than that, before you try to pull the race card or something similar.

Don't worry Griff, we understand...

(The Fuzz are en route)

Glas a du wrote:Don't worry Griff, we understand...

(The Fuzz are en route)

That's just the way their hair grows!

viewtothegym wrote:A world cup and 3 finals? A world cup and two finals or 3 finals and we won one of them surely would be correct?

Also could you please explain in depth to me the path England took to the 2003 final?
Or did you just watch the final with your dad? because you must have been around five years old back then.

Everyone on this board knows who the baby is. Time for your nap now laddy boy

Louis Theroux to prosititute

"Have you ever been caught by the Fuzz?"

"No luv...but I have been swung by the jubblies"