Blood & Mud

The horror that is ITV coverage of the Rugby World Cup

With the tournament less than 10 hours away from its glorious kick off, my excitement is being tempered slightly by one thing: ITV.  ITV in Britain normally have about as much interest in Rugby as the wheezy lads at school who always had a note from their mum at PE time, but for some reason they cover every World Cup. 

Jim "The Count" Rosenthal (right) will be at the helm once more, reading every question off the autocue and wishing he was at the Grand Prix instead, which will negate any chance of interesting punditry from their impressive panel of Greenwood, Johnson and Fitzpatrick, among others.

Former Wales flanker John Taylor will be in the commentary box again.  I have genuine sympathy for John, because he is obviously losing his marbles. He usually resorts to just shouting out shirt numbers or random common names he is so far off the pace: "Peel, to...12..erm...scrum cap...Ospreys player, you know , big lad...Shanklin, no er....what's that mother, fish for tea, I hate fish..it's with Charvis..what time is the news on...£40!! how much! for 2 coffees and a teacake, on yer bike son... he really glides through Hook there".

There are some small mercies though, they have at least decided not to hire Nigel Starmer-Smith again, instead plumping for Miles Harrison and Stuart Barnes from Sky.  Admittedly this is only better in the same way as getting your hand slammed repeatedly in a car door is better than having your arm hacked off.

I haven't heard their theme tune yet, but if history is anything to go by it will be the aural equivalent of a french bloke dancing in front of you whilst repeatedly hitting your todger with an large onion in a sock.

Related posts: How Will Greenwood are you? 

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The horror that is ITV coverage of the Rugby World Cup

With the tournament less than 10 hours away from its glorious kick off, my excitement is being tempered slightly by one thing: ITV.  ITV in Britain normally have about as much interest in Rugby as the wheezy lads at school who always had a note from their mum at PE time, but for some reason they cover every World Cup. 

Jim "The Count" Rosenthal (right) will be at the helm once more, reading every question off the autocue and wishing he was at the Grand Prix instead, which will negate any chance of interesting punditry from their impressive panel of Greenwood, Johnson and Fitzpatrick, among others.