BBC coverage, what's the verdict ?

[Rooster]

Personally I thought not bad but Gusher is better on the radio than TV, obviously he was trying to keep a lid on his enthusiasm as people are watching rather than having him describe full match, do think he will improve when he gets settled in a bit better.
Watson, Ward and McWhirter ; not a patch on Emmet Byrne and Liam Toland on Setanta plus half time and discussion format looks a bit on the cheap and make do side, think it looks better done from a studio.
Overall though

[Shem]

Sorry Rooster, have to disagree with you there. I thought that the BBC done a fairly decent job. I love listening to Gusher, I find him always fair but still that wee bita bias towards Ulster, which is good!
Half time did seem a tad thrown together but I enjoyed it better than the usual 'clinical' Setanta rubbish with Neil Francis at his usual guff! Plus I thought that it brought the match astmosphere into the home with the sound of the crowd always in the background, so it's a from me for the BBC.

[Ithryn]

Watching it back this morning I thought it was pretty good.

Hope it doesnt discourage too many from going to ravenhill though.

[jackthelad]

Personally I thought not bad but Gusher is better on the radio than TV, obviously he was trying to keep a lid on his enthusiasm as people are watching rather than having him describe full match, do think he will improve when he gets settled in a bit better.
Watson, Ward and McWhirter ; not a patch on Emmet Byrne and Liam Toland on Setanta plus half time and discussion format looks a bit on the cheap and make do side, think it looks better done from a studio.
Overall though

Liam Toland can be good and makes astute points in a very watchable manner. He sounds measured and authoritative as if he has thought about it and actually knows what he is talking about even when it's just waffle.The downside is that he can be incredibly Munstercentric and blind to anything else at times.

Emmet Byrne starts to talk and then can't stop in a breathless deluge of words. Any sense he may talk is lost in a flood of 'rugbyspeak'. I sometimes wish someone would give him an oxygen mask to break the cycle of hot air coming out and huge gulps of air going in. He is bizarrely usually very ill-informed about Ulster, the set up here and our players. How hard can it be to do a bit of research (although if he went on the Ulster site or Niall Crozier he'd get little sense out of either at times) He is as totally one-eyed about Leinster as Hook and Toland are about Munster.

I thought both the guys did o.k. and didn't just spout anodyne blether. They did mention NOC's poorish kicking and his hesitancy in decision making and I think Best's mince lineout performance. I have to admit to a growing even if unreasonable dislike of Steven Watson's rugby reportage and his t.v. performance. I just think we are spoiled a bit by the likes of Toland who seems polished and personable rather than a small, balding guy who gets his clothes in War On Want. I know it's unfair and there is more to him than that but .....Our sports guys have been around too long - apart from the GAA guy obviously - and we could do with a fresh face or two so long as it's not a screeching harridan like those two women, Logan and What's her face? Jim Neilly is a good commentator who does research on the games and was a decent player himself.

[backawaygoonahead]

I stuck it on as soon as I got home at 10.30. Sadly fell asleep midway through the 2nd half but what I did see including the half-time talk was fine.

Nice to see big Tony there, still remember him in tears coming off after being substituted in the 99 final, thought he was up to the job.

Although there is no doubt who the guys want to win, the coverage at first glance seemed a fair bit more balanced than Scrum 5 ever manage.

Will catch the end of the game shortly.

Anyone know if there is an option to watch next weeks game anywhere?

[baldy]

Does anyone know if BBC Radio Ulster MW is still covering the matches. I always have my radio with me at the games but last night unfortunately my ears were bombarded with fiddlydee music, needless to say the radio went back into the pocket, and a fair few number of swear words were uttered. IMHO some people who would normally attend the game's, have to work whenever an Ulster match is on, but barring having a TV in work, or an internet connection, how are they going to listen to and follow the match???

[mikerob]

Personally, I like hearing opinions and analysis on technical and tactical stuff from the co-commentator and panel and there was none of this from BBC NI... it was all a bit dumbed down. Toland, Byrne and Williams on Setanta are much better in this respect. McWhirter and Ward are basically fans being interviewed so there is a case for involving an outsider for a more objective and critical view. BBC NI will be doing this on the cheap so that means they probably won't do this.

I thought the camerawork wasn't great as well however the people doing it may have had little previous experience of rugby.

Apparently BBC Wales had Syd Millar on their coverage on talking about IRB stuff. (Our license-payer money paying for *two* sets of commentators for the same game! )

There is a rugby magazine program called "The Breakdown" on Setanta Ireland at 9:30pm this evening and I'm assuming they will have highlights of all the ML games.

[Digifriendly]

Fact is that the vast majority of viewers in NI now have access to live coverage of Ulster's ML games compared to what must have been a pretty small number who subscribed to a minority channel so let's be glad BBC won the contract and rugby here in Ulster can only be the winner as last night's match was a cracker and was seen in far more homes than matches in previous 6 seasons.

[againstthehead]

Agreed. Commentary was good but Ward and McWhirter patchy. McWhirter in particular tended to go off on one. Might be nice to get a couple of ex-players from down south for a different perspective?

The TV coverage will be brilliant for areas a bit further away from Belfast - certainly give school kids from fermanagh and tyrone an oppertunity to watch the likes of ferris and trimble on a regular basis which has to be good for rugby. There is so little live sport on terrestrial TV - this exposure has to be good. Hopefully, Ulster rugby can use this coverage to broaden it's appeal.

Really chuffed that the lads on the park put in a good performance (well result ) for the cameras. Good stuff.

[Yoda]

Watched it when I went home last night.

Great that access to all has others have said

Found it frustrating how many times Andy Ward started talking over TMcW

[aarons]

i personally much preferred the Setanta coverage - informed experts (and Francis) covering the sport on an all-Ireland basis, putting us in the context of the other provinces and less of the insular local approach. but it's a worthwhile trade off to have province wide exposure. and in truth more people in RoI will see us now, even though it's on BBC, than would ever have seen games on Setanta.

[Rooster]

[

Liam Toland can be good and makes astute points in a very watchable manner. He sounds measured and authoritative as if he has thought about it and actually knows what he is talking about even when it's just waffle.The downside is that he can be incredibly Munstercentric and blind to anything else at times.

Emmet Byrne starts to talk and then can't stop in a breathless deluge of words. Any sense he may talk is lost in a flood of 'rugbyspeak'. I sometimes wish someone would give him an oxygen mask to break the cycle of hot air coming out and huge gulps of air going in. He is bizarrely usually very ill-informed about Ulster, the set up here and our players. How hard can it be to do a bit of research (although if he went on the Ulster site or Niall Crozier he'd get little sense out of either at times) He is as totally one-eyed about Leinster as Hook and Toland are about Munster.

Always thought the pair of them were pretty well up to date with our players and never really noticed them being biased, gave credit when it was due and criticism when it was due for all sides.

[browner]

i personally much preferred the Setanta coverage - informed experts (and Francis) covering the sport on an all-Ireland basis, putting us in the context of the other provinces and less of the insular local approach. but it's a worthwhile trade off to have province wide exposure. and in truth more people in RoI will see us now, even though it's on BBC, than would ever have seen games on Setanta.

Kind of make the BBC more ALL Ireland than Setanta and RTE.

[aarons]

no doubt browner!

[backawaygoonahead]

Don't forget guys that Setanta were filling a pretty thin schedule and devoted a good half hour usually to analysis so could afford to be detailed and measured. I quite enjoyed Beeb's first effort myself and liked having McWhirters enthusiasm for Ulster and thought there was a feel good factor & general excitement albeit the whole thing had to be rushed post match. Thought Niblock was OK on the post match interviews - not an easy gig to get right or sound interesting.

Not a bad effort for a first airing and doubtless will all get a bit smoother. Its not that I want an equivalent of the horde of one eyed Welshmen like Scrum 5 have but there is an attracation in local boys who have been there at that level.

What I will never miss about Setanta is legend in his own lifetime Francis, the big ballix, a poor-man's George Hook who likes to pretend to be a bit controversial. Won't miss Matt Williams either although I know many here will. Byrne, Toland and Daire were fair enough and I will miss hearing Fitzy on Ospreys games. The Osprey was all he ever called them - couldn't manage the plural.

BEEB will do ok for an after match rerun for me.