6N TV coverage so far...

[Prestwick]

Just caught up with the BBC's (pantomime) production of England vs Wales and I'm sooo glad I went to Twickenham on Saturday to see it in person. I'm not talking about the commentating here, that isn't an issue. If I have a problem with it, I just press the red button and switch to the usually better radio commentary. Its the damn production and camera-work and direction my beef is with because you can't control or change that!

At Twickenham, from my seat in the West Stand, I think I saw roughly three times as much as the BBC guys allowed you lot to see. I think it explains the confusion over whether Wales wanted it kept tight or set up for a DG.

Watching both England vs Wales today and Scotland vs France....I just have to cringe. Where have all our broadcasting talent gone? Most times line outs, scrums and even conversion kicks were missed because of endless action replays, at the England game, the overhead view thing was used way too much and mostly there was so many view changes that you weren't always sure what was going on!

RTE was a bit better at Croke park thank god. I was able to at least watch the match in peace without some idiot BBC producer changing the angle endlessly while shouting "YEAH MAN! QUICK! ZOOM IN ON THAT GUY THERE MAN! YEAAH HIS LEGS! GIVE IT TO ME BABY! GIVE ME THE ANKLES AND MAKE IT SHAKY! WOOO EMMY AWARD HERE I COOOME!!!"

The BBC Sport guys must act like some really, really smelly, rude and generally drunk family relation which no other media organisation want on their premises. I could imagine RTE locking them in their video trailer outside before the game starts.

On that note, I'm looking forward to next weekend because that is where we switch to French & Italian production and thus, reality. That way at least we can keep the crap BBC production.

Imagine a wonderland where every line out, every scrum and every kick is covered instead of inturrupted by a dodgy shaky close up or an action replay of some irrelevent event that happened half an hour previously? Can TV2 and Italian television deliver us to the promised land?

Watch this space...

 

[An Tarbh]

BBC did the feed at Croke Park but thankfully it was a different director to the other games. I wonder would the tryline cameras that Sky used in the HEC have made any difference for the Italian try or Sackey's effort i.e. just made it more clearer. Both decisions seemed correct but the evidence didn't seem that conclusive.

Also I still think you'll be getting a BBC production for both games next week, viewers in Ireland though will get the France2 feed for the French match.

 

[Prestwick]

I don't mean to be disrespectful here An but...well...who was responsible for letting the BBC within a mile of the most Irish symbol of Irishness in all of Ireland, let alone letting them direct the feed? Will the Irish government be appointing a public inquiry to examine just how such a disaster took place?

This is completely different to the French who refuse to let anyone else touch their coverage. Its either the TV2 feed or no feed at all, the BBC have been broadcasting the TV2 feed for a long time, they just slap their own graphics on top and commentate on what they see. TV2 were testing out the "slo-mo-fast-forward" action replay trick in last years Six Nations if you you remember.

 

[An Tarbh]

Well there were definite differences between what RTÉ were showing in the French Ireland game and what the BBC were showing, so the BBC were doing their own coverage. That's from 2004 and 2006. The BBC may take stuff from the French feed like the black and white replays in the roof of the stadium but they do have their own cameras there as well.

The BBC bid fair and square for the rights to be host broadcaster for Ireland games but RTÉ have it back from 2010.

Also this is completely irrelevant I know but by calling me An you're calling me The

 

[Prestwick]

Yeah but for the most part at French games, the BBC are taking the bulk of the coverage from the French side.

My god, get RTE back on the job for the love of god. It makes me cringe trying to watch the BBC coverage.

And, meh, An is easier to type

 

[An Tarbh]

It's much of a muchness really. RTÉ have also become a bit obsessed with this zooming in on everything and then missing the action after it, that's certainly the case when they do the Autumn internationals.

 

[carter1979]

Have to agree with the poor production. I counted 14 Camera changes in the space of a minute at one point during the England-Wales game. Completely unnecessary and left me feeling sea sick.

 

[Charles]

I'd have to agree. I don't even understand why they'd do that. Hopefully France 2 ( french channel) will be better.

 

[An Tarbh]

well as long as it's not during play that we see the oul one painting the match or the cock running around the pitch.

 

[carter1979]

I know this thread is not technically about the commentators, but the one thing that made me laugh during the Wales game was when the TV footage showed the angle which suggested that Huw Bennett had his hand under the ball, Brian Moore said "the previous angle was better". Yes Brian, because we should ignore the only evidence that gave an indication of what happened and only look at the evidence that is completely inconclusive.

 

[AJ1]

The BBC coverage does seem even worse than usual this year. They were obviously bought a new toy in the overhead camera and are using it at every opportunity (even though it makes no sense).

 

[An Tarbh]

Wait for the coverage from the Millennium Stadium, the thing will be on overdrive!

 

[RC]

The only problem is BBC has seen the Americans use the overhead-cam so successfully in American football and thought it would be a great feature for rugby.
What didn't occur to them was that rugby has a lot of sideways movements therefore making things not seem quite so poetic on screen, unlike American Football which has mr.quarterback sending a perfect-spinning ball through the air so that the camera can pick it up beautifully.

 

[dundeesmiffy]

I agree totally, I missed the majority of line-outs and scrums last weekend because of replays that weren't really needed.

 

[Thingimubob]

yeah, camera work for the England-Wales game was rubbish! Like when Wales had just drawn level 19 - 19 after Byrne's try, they were content to show about 4 replays of the try, and we missed the re-start. Though Eddie Butler filled us in and said 'Wales have won a re-start!.' All we saw of the won re-start was Byrne booting it down-field at Balshaw. Didn't mind so much at the time though since about 5 seconds later Phillips charged down Balshaws kick. But still rubbish camera work in general. Hope they can do better in the Millenim Stadium.

 

[Incredible Schalk]

Actually i dont think the bias from the 6 nations commentators is as bad as say New Zealand. Ive been watching a couple of tri nations game this week and it struck me that EVERY decision against them is greeted by "im not so sure" even if it clearly was against the rules. Cotter is a muppet but hes not to biased, Butler is ok as well and even Moore at times isnt to bad.

 

[Prestwick]

Yeah my beef is just with the camera work and direction, not the commentating. Thats a totally different kettle of fish. World Cup 2007 proved that you could have superb camera-work and utterly dire commentry.

 

[An Tarbh]

I had no beef with Sky's commentary at the world cup, wouldn't mind seeing a few of them working on the BBC either. Certainly couldn't make the situation any worse.

They could also improve on their punditry as well, Guscott's contribution is meaningless, Davies is just an annoying prat and Wood on his own with Gabby Logan just didn't work either.

 

[Prestwick]

I had no beef with Sky's commentary at the world cup, wouldn't mind seeing a few of them working on the BBC either. [/b]

No, no, no, ITV borrowed some of Sky's commentating team. There were still some dopey commentating combos though, didn't think much of Murray Mexted for a start.

 

[An Tarbh]

Well I'd no problem with the Sky lads who commentated which was a fair whack to be honest.

Mexted was a bit special alright, in the Ralph Wiggum sense of the word.

At least ITV have had the good sense to show Rosenthal the door, his salivating over Jonny Wilkinson was nauseating.