Favourite Rugby Union pundit

todolist

Who is your favourite pundit?

The Inbetween is mine

Favourite is ROG...always insightful, and his ability to size up a game is second to none.
can't stand Jennings, makes Bernard Jackman look positively brilliant

Could listen to ROG all day

aloooof

ROG is a great shout, honest to a fault. Jerry Flannery was great as well when he used to do it, was extremely insightful.

Lost Ormond

The Inbetween is mine wrote: »

Favourite is ROG...always insightful, and his ability to size up a game is second to none.
can't stand Jennings, makes Bernard Jackman look positively brilliant

ROG is excellent. Agree.
I cant agree about Jennings. Think he's very good. Straight to point, no bull**** and certainly better than Jackman

lawrencesummers

George Hook.


Nobody reminds you as quickly as George does how useless pundits are.

Louis Friend

Will Greenwood shades it over Brian O’Driscoll.

leakyboots

ROG probably isn't the most entertaining for many by dint of his dry nature (I actually find him gas, some of the OTB roadshows with him are gold) but his insight is super. Very straight talker too. He takes time to consider his opinion which is probably a nightmare for producers with the dead airtime but when he does talk it's usually worthwhile.

Jerry Fla was good too I thought for insight. I like Jackman on co-commentary duty, less so as a pundit. He's a good man to get across what's going on on the pitch live. Toland is awful, Luke Fitz is dire. Heaslip I'm actually warming to, brings a bit of positivity, a nice counterbalance if paired with a complementary commentator or pundit in studio. Mark Robson makes me want to tear off my ears and I'm not gone on Ferris.

I sometimes find with Jennings he's angling for a go at Munster, he's not the most professional of pundits. There was some cringey moment in the analysis with Stringer and Tommy Bowe recently in Thomond where he remarked something a bit snarkily like 'well you would say that' to Stringer on a difference of opinion who didn't look like he appreciated the jibe at all, especially live. These lads are retired and meant to be somewhat impartial. He's not the worst mind, just not my cup of tea.

As an aside, Tommy Bowe has really come on as a presenter. He was quite nervous and jittery at the start.

I love watching matches on TG4, great to hear a bit of Gaeilge (edit: and see the lovely Máire Treasa!)

Digifriendly

Does no one watch BBC, ITV or Sky pundits. I don't watch VM's 6N coverage because its in SD only on Saorview and here in the North we can't get it via Sky.

Faugheen

Shane Jennings is the only one of the current lot that isn’t afraid to say something that might upset his mates.

ROG I really want to like but he takes forever to make his point. It’s painful to listen to.

Must love hardship

Digifriendly wrote: »

Does no one watch BBC, ITV or Sky pundits. I don't watch VM's 6N coverage because its in SD only on Saorview and here in the North we can't get it via Sky.

I thought Warburton and Johnson were excellent on the BBC at the weekend and Heaslip is great on the co coms.

Paul o connell was excellent on Itv during world cup with Bod.

Keith wood is excellent too.

Don't watch VM prefer Joe molloy on the radio.
Can't stand Williams and jennings isn't great.

FOR Eir. Tommy is getting better at his role. Id prefer stringer over D'Arcy. Murray kinsella is very knowledgeable.

Used to enjoy horgan and conor o shea on rte.

machip

Murray Kinsella hands down. Super technical insight and great delivery.

cameramonkey

Jonathan Davies

razorblunt

I really like Martin Johnson, the fact he’s on BBC might make him seem better as he’s used sparingly, similar to John Barclay when he’s not doing Scottish stuff.

At this stage I hate almost everything about BT sport comms and pundits, aside from the banter boys, Nick Mullins and co never shut up and constantly talk over the refs.

errlloyd

Dave Flatman weirdly enough.

thomond2006

Williams and Franno on Setanta back in the day were the best pairing tbh.

hurleronditch

Louis Friend wrote: »

Will Greenwood shades it over Brian O’Driscoll.

Though Greenwood frequently gets a slating, I actually think his underlying analysis is usually insightful and interesting. The Sky Sports bombast particularly anything to do with the fupping Lions, and his complete over the top enthusiasm is grating and probably drowns out his decent actual analysis

Beechwoodspark

thomond2006 wrote: »

Williams and Franno on Setanta back in the day were the best pairing tbh.

Another shout for Williams and Francis. V good

.ak

thomond2006 wrote: »

Williams and Franno on Setanta back in the day were the best pairing tbh.

You must enjoy pulling the wings off flies, too.

The Inbetween is mine

Faugheen wrote: »

Shane Jennings is the only one of the current lot that isn’t afraid to say something that might upset his mates.

ROG I really want to like but he takes forever to make his point. It’s painful to listen to.

Jennings is probably the most one eyed pundit we have since the heyday of Frankie Sheehan

Conor O'Shea was probably the last pundit I enjoyed.

They're all quite safe these days and pretty much all the same person - very interchangeable

thomond2006

.ak wrote: »

You must enjoy pulling the wings off flies, too.

It was the best coverage the Magners/Rabo/Pro14 ever had.

Louis Friend

Conor O’Shea’s credibility has taken a knock since his spectacular failure with Italy. I like him though.

tgdaly

Jim Demps

Must love hardship

Louis Friend wrote: »

Conor O’Shea’s credibility has taken a knock since his spectacular failure with Italy. I like him though.

Not many would be a success in Italy.

Off topic i wonder would he do a better job than nusofora?

Realistically if south Africa join the 6 nations tournament it wont become the 7 nations. Italy would drop down a level and it would be a better tournament 6 quality top teams.

Who were the pundits on Amazon prime actually just in case they pick up the super rugby season??

sliabh 1956

RoG is so passionate also I thought BoD's review of Sundays game on OTB was excellent

Louis Friend

Must love hardship wrote: »

Not many would be a success in Italy.

Off topic i wonder would he do a better job than nusofora?

Realistically if south Africa join the 6 nations tournament it wont become the 7 nations. Italy would drop down a level and it would be a better tournament 6 quality top teams.

Who were the pundits on Amazon prime actually just in case they pick up the super rugby season??

Conor O’Shea’s job was to develop Italian rugby and put them on a path to relative success.

His legacy is the Italian side losing something like 26 and counting Six Nations games on the bounce and becoming a laughing stock against a backdrop of calls to eject them from the competition and replace them with Georgia.

Conor O’Shea’s credibility is in tatters.

Nice fella though.

Scratchly

Jennings. Well spoken, insightful and detailed. Jackman is pretty good too.

ROG is ok but waffles too much. Reminds me of GAA commentators too trotting out the same clichés over and over going on about bravery and hunger only with "the French attitude" peppered into things.

OneLungDavy

Love Bernard Jackman, always great insight.

.ak

thomond2006 wrote: »

It was the best coverage the Magners/Rabo/Pro14 ever had.

I preferred running my nails down chalkboard. Horrible, horrible stuff.

Lost Ormond

Scratchly wrote: »

Jennings. Well spoken, insightful and detailed. Jackman is pretty good too.

ROG is ok but waffles too much. Reminds me of GAA commentators too trotting out the same clichés over and over going on about bravery and hunger only with "the French attitude" peppered into things.

Jackman isnt pretty good. Waffles, talks nonsense.
ROG i wouldnt call what he says waffling. He certainly doesnt use cliches much.

Louis Friend

Andy Dunne is excellent on Newstalk

Boscoirl

Emmet Byrne on Setanta was great.

Tim Robbins

Matt Williams.

Fredinho

Kinda looks like this is similar to your views on munster and Leinster.

Munster pundit good, Leinster pundit bad and vice versa.

Leinstertomas

Does Phillip Matthews commentate on radio or anywhere these days? I used to like him doing the Ireland games on BBC but not been on in a good few years now.

I cannot stand Heaslip commentating. In fact most co-commentators tend to make me want to mute the tv but I want to hear the ref so not really an option.
ITV had Flatman and a woman (who I presume is an ex-player) for the Italy game and the amount of rubbish talked and awful jokes was unreal. There was barely a second of silence the whole game. I think the woman was the same one who was on channel 4 for Leinster Northampton recently and said "what's really interesting there is that that was a deliberate knock-on, but because it has gone backwards, it's ok!" (Henshaw had stuck out arm to intercept a pass after a Northampton break)

Kirk Van Houten

Murray Kinsella is the top of the pile for me but he's probably more of an analyst than a pundit.

Jackman is really good. Knowledgeable, able to use the analyst stuff to back up his points, still has the connections but isn't afraid to call things.

ROG is pure gold. Doesn't hold back and very insightful.

Don't think Stringer or D'Arcy are up to much on Eir to be honest.

Whitters22

Louis Friend wrote: »

Andy Dunne is excellent on Newstalk

+1 on Andy Dunne. Might not get his shot on TV as his playing career was under the radar but really interesting guy. Consistent in his critique of the Irish style of play even throughout 2018.

Louis Friend

I also think Liam Toland is excellent.

Former Coach

Louis Friend wrote: »

I also think Liam Toland is excellent.

You can not be serious (as John McEnroe might say!)

hurleronditch

Louis Friend wrote: »

I also think Liam Toland is excellent.

Jesus wept.

Toland really is poor, abysmal I would go as far to say.

Daire O’Brien for worst host/presenter, makes me want to put my boot through the telly, can feel my blood pressure rise perceptibly at his “go easy” sign off.

Louis Friend

Batrachotox wrote: »

Toland really is poor, abysmal I would go as far to say.

Daire O’Brien for worst host/presenter, makes me want to put my boot through the telly, can feel my blood pressure rise perceptibly at his “go easy” sign off.

Daire O’Brien is horrendous. And an aside, his brother is Breffni O’Brien (Google him).

But I’m struggling to understand the hatred towards Liam Toland. His Irish Time column is excellent.

hawley

Alan Quinlan on Newstalk is good. Relatively recent player, comes across as someone you'd like to go for a pint with.

I'd forgotten about Stuart Barnes...always had great time for him.

vapor trails

hawley wrote: »

Alan Quinlan on Newstalk is good. Relatively recent player, comes across as someone you'd like to go for a pint with.

He's been a slow burner with me but I like him now

hawley

hawley wrote: »

Alan Quinlan on Newstalk is good. Relatively recent player, comes across as someone you'd like to go for a pint with.

I don’t think he’s very good tbh - still can not pronounce Vunipola despite them being around for years, calls them “Vunipolo”...it’s not even a difficult name.
He also doesn’t do his research, referred to Gary Graham as “Scotland number 20” during Saturday’s game, that’s a big no no not even a schoolboy commentator should be doing that.

Buer

There's an incredible lack of basic knowledge from most pundits. They move within the game, know people and have something of an inside track which affords them their jobs. They have knowledge of systems and the intensity levels required to play the game at that level which is beneficial. But their basic knowledge of players, teams, line ups etc. is embarrassing.

Three recent examples spring to mind from Newstalk (which I listen to most frequently):

Liam Toland spoke about how Larmour can't start against England in the second game of the 6N because he won't be battle hardened enough to stand up to such a physical onslaught. After a few minutes the presenter had to tell him that we weren't playing England until the final day. "Well....the point still stands" said Toland.

Keith Wood was asked about the Connacht back line and how they weren't able to click against Munster after being so dangerous against Leinster. His explanation was that the Leinster back line of Sexton, Henshaw and Ross Byrne at 13 isn't a trio that are known for quick linespeed and pressuring attacks. Of course the minor issue with this is that those guys started against Ulster, not Connacht. He had the games completely backwards and didn't have a clue who played against Connacht. But that didn't stop him claiming he did.

And lastly, Quinlan. He was speaking about the pecking order of the back row players for the 6N a fortnight ago and said he'd have Max Deegan after Ruddock as his next option at blindside. "Although he seems to have fallen off the radar somewhat". The presenter had to explain to him that Deegan has a knee injury (without completely embarrassing Quinlan by explaining the extent of the injury).

In summation, most pundits are crap. They do it as a side gig and don't actually put much preparation or effort into their roles outside of what they already know about the game. The longer they're out of the game, the more redundant they are. Matt Williams used be one of the most insightful and interesting pundits around. Now he's completely out of date given he hasn't coached in a decade.

Buer

Kirk Van Houten wrote: »

Jackman is really good. Knowledgeable, able to use the analyst stuff to back up his points, still has the connections but isn't afraid to call things.

Utter bluffer. Every week he speaks about his "connections". Claimed the rumours from the camp were that Will Connors was starting last week. It's genuinely a good indication that the opposite will happen.

He tried to claim a few weeks ago that Bordeaux are signing Stander....before back tracking almost instantly and saying that they're making a big offer. Bordeaux announced the signing of Picamoles the next week.

Nobody in the game is going to give Jackman a whiff of a true story because they know he's going to shout if from the rooftops immediately.

Sanjuro

ROG at times can take a lot of concentration to listen to. He's low on entertainment, but he's absolutely brilliant on the technical stuff. Murray Kinsella and Eoin Toolan on the subscriber podcast for The42 are really good too. Andy Dunne is good as he doesn't pull punches. And Liam Toland. Okay, just kidding about that last one. He's interminable to listen to.

Sanjuro

Batrachotox wrote: »

Daire O’Brien for worst host/presenter, makes me want to put my boot through the telly, can feel my blood pressure rise perceptibly at his “go easy” sign off.

Every time. I know it's coming. I can turn the bloody TV off before he says it. But then he says it. And I want to put my foot through the screen.