The art of commentary

[Puja]

Saw this article and found it absolutely fascinating - Telegraph rugby reporter getting a chance to try his hand at commentating on the Bristol vs Quins game with exactly the same setup as the professionals to see how hard it was and how he coped with trying to do 80 minutes where you don't get a second take: https://archive.ph/XTJ1k

I would **love** to do that at some point. I have no illusions that I am hiding an undiscovered talent that could oust Ali Eykyn, but I'd be fascinated to see how close I could get and, probably more pertinently, where and how I fucked up.

Puja

[FKAS]

Yeah, know what you mean. I'd love to see if I could do the 80mins and produce something actually passable.

[Mikey Brown]

Fascinating.

Worth trying the real link if you can’t get the clips to work. I’m never sure when the telegraph site will block me from looking or not, but it worked here.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union ... arlequins/

The side by side of the Murley score (as if it needs saying, what a fucking finish) really shows how much it can add to the experience. Assuming you can drown out Austin Healey saying ‘stop it’ or calling things ‘naughty.’

I’d love to hear another RRer give it a go. Blathering on about KADABing and how Farrell can only pass accurately in one direction.

[Mellsblue]

I’d love to hear another RRer give it a go. Blathering on about KADABing and how Farrell can only pass accurately in one direction.

[Oakboy]

IMO, the best commentators over the years have been the ones who talk the least. Where I'd struggle is keeping my opinions to myself. Opinion and expert comment should come from the co-commentators. That is where I'd fail completely, especially with being polite to those who never shut up (dare I refer to one or two females?).

[fivepointer]

Amen to that.

Richie Benaud would go several minutes without saying a word. Bill McLaren is obviously the gold standard in rugby but we did have a golden generation of great sports commentators like Benaud, Peter Alliss, Barry Davies, Ron Pickering, David Coleman, Harry Carpenter, Murray Walker and Dan Maskell.

[twitchy]

I'm a big fan of the podcast 'football cliches' where they dig into this stuff. Obviously football related but there is a lot of sports wide cross over.

[Banquo]

Amen to that.

Richie Benaud would go several minutes without saying a word. Bill McLaren is obviously the gold standard in rugby but we did have a golden generation of great sports commentators like Benaud, Peter Alliss, Barry Davies, Ron Pickering, David Coleman, Harry Carpenter, Murray Walker and Dan Maskell.

Cliff Morgan was fantastic too. Arlott and Johnston genii in differing ways.

And of course Dors favourite, John Snagge.

[Oakboy]

My favourite co-commentator was Bill Beaumont. His was the calm, English voice providing the expertise alongside Bill McLaren's Scottish enthusiasm. There has still never been a better 'explainer' of the laws than BB. "The referee has interpreted that as . . ." was his diplomatic version of Healey saying, "The ref got that wrong."

Might the decline in the players' attitude to refs reflect the commentary and the multi-view truck analysis?

[Banquo]

My favourite co-commentator was Bill Beaumont. His was the calm, English voice providing the expertise alongside Bill McLaren's Scottish enthusiasm. There has still never been a better 'explainer' of the laws than BB. "The referee has interpreted that as . . ." was his diplomatic version of Healey saying, "The ref got that wrong."

Might the decline in the players' attitude to refs reflect the commentary and the multi-view truck analysis?

That and money