ITV's coverage

First topic message reminder :

Not sure if everyone else is already aware, but ITV are showing every single game live for the RWC:
http://www.itv.com/rugbyworldcup/fixtures

Quite impressed with that. I was expecting one game on itv, one game on itv4 and the rest bundled into a late night highlights show. Majority of the games are on ITV as well so that means we get HD and a plus 1 channel (for us poor folk without recording wizardry boxes!).

Just hope their pre and post match stuff is up to scratch, but with so many back to back games and the inevitable reams of adverts, there probably wont be much.

Im still annoyed that they keep showing the episode where Wales win

Agree it was over-excited commentary. I agree that the media build sportsmen up to stupid levels and then chop them down.  It's always happened, it's just more apparent with saturation coverage and is reflective of the 'celebrity' and media obsessed society we live in.

Other than that, which is stating the bleeding obvious, a load of tosh article in my view. I'm yet to meet an english person who believed sam burgess was the super-hero who was going to win the world cup for england. But sure lancaster picked him because of public opinion. He picked him despite of it!

If a throw to the front of a line out 'practically guarantees being pushed into touch', no-one would ever do it, but they do. It's just the safer option to retain ball but harder to do anything with.

If robshaw did call the lineout call to himself, he didn't do it to be a captain marvel hero. He's not billy big time. He may have done it because he felt he should lead from the front and take responsibility, that's not the same thing. Commendable in many respects. Stupid, perhaps but commendable.

Glad that Mr Gould returned to new zealand if this is reflective of the stuff he serves up...maybe he should have stuck to politics though.

Anyone know if Wood kicking Williams in the head was shown repeatedly on the big screen at twickenham over and over and over? Just curious.

I don't know what you're getting at, Ebop...

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:I don't know what you're getting at, Ebop...

I think this is going back to Matawalu's try in the opener. The try was given without consulting the TMO and the slow motion was played on the big screen. The ref then asked the TMO about the try (changing his mind) and the try was correctly disallowed.

I think he is insinuating that Wood's accidental kick to the head on Williams was not played over and over because it could have resulted in someone being binned or red carded.

Still the ITV coverage is dreadful. Inverdale in particular is a giant fudge nut.

I knew what he was getting at really. I should have added a wink!

It's free to air and they cover every game. Stop whining. It's great that they do that. Just ignore the pundits. Who gives a fetid dingos bollock what they think. Not me.

ebop wrote:Anyone know if Wood kicking Williams in the head was shown repeatedly on the big screen at twickenham over and over and over? Just curious.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:I don't know what you're getting at, Ebop...

I think this is going back to Matawalu's try in the opener. The try was given without consulting the TMO and the slow motion was played on the big screen. The ref then asked the TMO about the try (changing his mind) and the try was correctly disallowed.

Yes and no RuggerRadge.

I was under the impression that the broadcaster would have little to no influence on the referee. I'm happy with the Fijian try being correctly called as a no-try as he clearly fumbled it. Showing replays of tries (or non-tries) on the big screen is a-ok in my book. But showing replays of bad behaviour on the big screen opens up the situation to bias and corruption.

So the precedent is set. Kicks in the head are not replayed on the big screen over and over. No matter who is playing. But innocuous trips by AB captains is an exception.

Woods kick through wasn't shown on the big screen as Williams was receiving medical attention.

donglewood wrote:It's free to air and they cover every game. Stop whining. It's great that they do that. Just ignore the pundits. Who gives a fetid dingos bollock what they think. Not me.

Is it just me or has the broadcast quality been sh!te...I'm not referring to the presenters, buy the actual quality of the broadcast.

I've found nearly every game has frozen at some point, blocked or screeching sound quality. It's like going back to the early days of digital service.

I first thought it may be my Sky dish, but found it exactly the same on Freeview and also when watching it at my parents and last week in the pub, so it has to be the quality of ITVs broadcasting...

Perhaps they need to invest in new equipment.

I haven't seen any problem with the quality of pictures, 9.
But then again, unlike South Wales, up here we tend to have electricity 24/7, our motorways aren't cobbled and people have stopped staring at planes

InjuredYetAgain wrote:I haven't seen any problem with the quality of pictures, 9.
But then again, unlike South Wales, up here we tend to have electricity 24/7, our motorways aren't cobbled and people have stopped staring at planes

You cant stare at planes when facing the other way... and of course you replaced the cobbles with tarmac, because its far more conducive to a good nights sleep..

No9 wrote:Is it just me or has the broadcast quality been sh!te...I'm not referring to the presenters, buy the actual quality of the broadcast.

I've found nearly every game has frozen at some point, blocked or screeching sound quality. It's like going back to the early days of digital service.

I first thought it may be my Sky dish, but found it exactly the same on Freeview and also when watching it at my parents and last week in the pub, so it has to be the quality of ITVs broadcasting...

Perhaps they need to invest in new equipment.

I'm glad it's not just me! I've had the picture breaking up, or freezing, and it's especially bad on ITV4.

I had been thinking that the directing at games was very good. Apart from a couple of missed kick offs, we saw the live action from decent angles most of the time. In the England Australia game though the director had an obsession with the camera man standing on the touch line, even when he could see bugger all. Really p*ssed me off, especially as we were also rubbish.

screamingaddabs wrote:I had been thinking that the directing at games was very good.  Apart from a couple of missed kick offs, we saw the live action from decent angles most of the time.  In the England Australia game though the director had an obsession with the camera man standing on the touch line, even when he could see bugger all.  Really p*ssed me off, especially as we were also rubbish.

Haven't noticed any missed kick-offs... Not sure that has happened, as the routine is anthem, little dance if south pacific nation, then adverts. The ref then puts his finger in his ear, waits for Ms Faith to ruin another verse of "World in Union" and then awaits the director to tell the ref his can blow his whistle for kick off.. So not sure how ITV miss the kick off, as they ultimately control when it happens...

As for camera angles, have to agree some have been suspect, especially on Saturday, when the director was more interested in scanning the crowd for glum looking faces...

But what about that b!oody spider camera. What happens if a kick hits it, or is deflected by the wires holding it up. What happens then, anyone know...

No9 wrote:

screamingaddabs wrote:I had been thinking that the directing at games was very good.  Apart from a couple of missed kick offs, we saw the live action from decent angles most of the time.  In the England Australia game though the director had an obsession with the camera man standing on the touch line, even when he could see bugger all.  Really p*ssed me off, especially as we were also rubbish.

Haven't noticed any missed kick-offs... Not sure that has happened, as the routine is anthem, little dance if south pacific nation, then adverts. The ref then puts his finger in his ear, waits for Ms Faith to ruin another verse of "World in Union" and then awaits the director to tell the ref his can blow his whistle for kick off.. So not sure how ITV miss the kick off, as they ultimately control when it happens...

As for camera angles, have to agree some have been suspect, especially on Saturday, when the director was more interested in scanning the crowd for glum looking faces...

But what about that b!oody spider camera. What happens if a kick hits it, or is deflected by the wires holding it up. What happens then, anyone know...

I've got a vague memory of Mike Phillips hitting that with a box kick one time. Play on?

Game called off and awarded to Wales. Biggar will add a new twitch to get the height now.

Funny you should say that Cyril, cant remember if Mike Phillips hit it, but I vaguely (or maybe I was dreaming - but if dreaming about Mike Phillips, I'm going to see a shrink!!!).. as I was saying, I vaguely remember an interview with Mike Phillips, for one of the Welsh sports magazine shows, when the SpiderCam was introduced, and I'm sure he, Steven Jones and a few others (think Ronan O'Gara was one) has a case of wine riding on the first player to hit the b!oody thing..

Yeah, don't dream about Mikey's 'dreamy' eyes or Bakkies will get jealous  I'm sure it was Phillips who hit it (quite a while back).