Composed, confident Sky have decent Championship debut, but did we expect anything less?
THE TONE of any Championship debut is set in the first few minutes. An early mistakeand doubts creep into the head. But there are always debutants who relish the stage and grow in confidence as the game goes on.
Of the several Championship newcomers in Kilkenny, none were under more scrutiny than Sky presenters Rachel Wyse and Brian Carney. From the moment the pair appeared on our screens at a windswept Nowlan Park, this was a surefooted debut.
All fears were quashed by the impressive opening montage.
‘What determines the direction your life takes?’ the voiceover breathlessly intoned which must have perplexed the uninitiated as they switched on in Lemington Spa or Ledbury.
As Sky informed them, over footage that included their own analyst Peter Canavan’s goal in the 2005 All-Ireland football final, the GAA was less a sport than a way of life.
Given that this is a broadcaster that can bill Stoke City vs West Ham United as a Super Sunday, this was understated by their standards.
The pace remained breakneck for the next 20 minutes, as Ollie Canning and Jamesie O’Connor pinpointed another debutant, Offaly’s Kevin Connolly, as playing an important role. Given what transpired, Connolly probably won’t thank them for that.
O’Connor occupied the hi-tech Gary Neville role while Canning was content to play Jamie Carragher’s position as a safe pair of
hands. Jamesie also emphasised the fact that Kilkenny’s forwards were all over six foot. It didn’t take long to see what impact that would have on the game.
Carney was keen to inject a bit of realism into proceedings. After a brief interview with Brian Whelahan, the former rugby league star pointed out that the Offaly manager was one of the greatest hurlers of all- time. ‘But he is also a realist,’ he said in a serious tone. ‘And he knows the task in front of Offaly.’ Prescient words.
Impressively, Sky nabbed the unfortunate Michael Rice, who ruptured his cruciate ligament last weekend for a few words before the match and Brian Cody, who confirmed his similarity to Alex Ferguson for Sky viewers by saying very little.
Seven minutes into the game, the Sky Sports tracker made its first appearance and informed viewers that Tyrone had captured the Nicky Rackard Cup, Kildare the Christy Ring and Longford were Lory Meagher champions.
Given most GAA fans in Ireland may not have known, it’s this type of input which will win the broadcaster brownie points.
By half-time, there was little left to say. Ollie Canning did his best to disguise any dread he was feeling, contemplating that his brother Joe and his Galway team meet Kilkenny in two weeks.
The stats were impressive – but a staggeringly one-sided game couldn’t be dressed up as anything less.
A decent Championship debut, then. Did we expect anything else?