Less commentary, more action, please

IN MONDAY’S Sport Wales you detailed the 34-phase passage of play spanning the three and a half minutes that led to Corry Hill’s try.

This touchdown will be as significant in Welsh rugby folklore as Scott Gibb’s try from 20 years ago – up there with last year’s epic 41-phase winning drop goal from Johnny Sexton against France – yet Sunday’s Scrum V Six Nations Special on the BBC opted to show just a few phases, settling instead for talking heads rather than this extraordinary mainsail of the game in its entirety.

Our broadcasters appear to have lost empathy with those who watch and listen. True, Gwyn Williams, the director of communications at S4C, recently explained why, due to contractual obligations, they are unable to share English commentary when covering Pro 14 matches – and yet...

Watching a sporting event, say road cycling in a language I don’t understand, is hugely distracting, so I turn the volume down. All the information I need is on screen anyway. Occasionally, Eurosport Player will show races with no commentary, just background sounds, indeed you can often hear the riders talk to each other

– so why won’t S4C offer up this no-commentary option to overcome language hurdles?

After all, when we go to a sporting event we detest the person next to us explaining in detail what we are seeing. Also, I only switch on for a rugby game just before kick-off to avoid the talking heads. However, much has been made of the atmosphere in the Principality Stadium leading up to last Saturday’s game – so why don’t our broadcasters offer us a red-button option of being part of the stadium atmosphere and the singing?

I would certainly sit down and enjoy the occasion. What are our broadcasters afraid of?