3D Rugby Broadcast – the Verdict

Despite being pipped by Sky for being the first live 3D sports broadcast in the UK, yesterday’s O2 sponsored 3D broadcast of the England v Wales rugby match was none the less a landmark event. But did it live up to the hype, and more importantly, was it the future of sports broadcasting? I had booked tickets through O2’s priority service. The marketing blurb that came with my reservation promised “O2 angels” in the cinema foyer prematch and a free pint in the bar. This was slightly oversold as the O2 angels were actually just a few un-angelic looking spotty teenage boys and girls sorting out tickets, and the free pint was a can of tetley smoothflow. Still, free drink is free drink! The tickets were actually wrist straps and to receive them your name had to be on the authorised list. It made the whole event seem like a private function and as more and more people started gathering in the cinema bar (most dressed in rugby tops) the excitement built up.
The event was a sell out and once seated the atmosphere was lively (once people got over the initial weirdness of being able to make noise in a cinema!). A pre-match message from Sean Bean urged the audience to keep their mobile phones on and make as much noise as possible, “let’s turn this cinema into a stadium!” . The anthems were sung as loudly as in the ground itself and whooping and hollering continued throughout the match (the turgid first thirty minutes apart).
As for the 3D itself, well it was very good, but still not perfect. Some views were better than others. Close up views of lineouts and rucks were jaw droppingly good, as were medium distance shots. The depth of field that the technology offers just draws the spectator into the action. On the negative side some wider angle views lost perspective and were blurred at the periphery. There were less camera angles and replays available as well so sometimes the detail was missed. Overall though the effect was astonishing and at times it was easy to imagine that you were really sat in the East Stand at Twickenham instead of a in a darkened cinema!
The other area that could be improved was the commentary. Dick Best made a valiant effort with his comments but the main man (the guy from the itv highlights show?) was all at sea. Still, these are minor issues and once more money is pumped into the concept (as it will be), I am sure the presentation will become slick and polished. In fact, I can see this truly being the future of watching major live sporting events. I can’t wait to buy a ticket for the England v Ireland match!
Cost = £12.50 (includes free drink and 3D glasses)

The 6 Nations Crazy Gene has kicked!

Ahh, another 6 Nations is upon us! God’s way of telling us that Spring is nearly here and that all is well in the world! Despite being almost terminally underwhelmed by England in the Autumn, when the sun rises on a new 6N dawn it is like being a kid on Christmas morning!! Let the games begin!!!

Tactics, Not the Team, is What Matters.

As England prepare for the start of their 6N campaign tomorrow, the issue for me is not who is in the side. The issue is how will England play. Just what kind of team does Martin Johnson want England to be? For seven years now, England have muddled through season after season, through a succession of head coaches and have simply underperformed. Clueless tactics on and off the field have seen them become almost a laughing stock. Well, tomorrow, that has to change. There are no excuses this time (Flutey’s late injury is a shame but not a disaster). England have to win. England have to perform. There has been a lot of blurb from the England camp this week about “heads up rugby”, “playing what is front of you”, “expressing ourselves”. Codswallop. As always, the match will be won and lost in the forwards. If they can dominate the tackle area, provide a solid platform and quick ball, then running it becomes easy. If however, England simply decide to chuck the ball around willy nilly from all areas of the pitch, then they will concede turnover after turnover and penalty after penalty. By all means have a go instead of kicking if it looks on, but also, kick and kick well if it is the right thing to do. Some common sense and basic skills executed well would be so much better to see than some cavalier attempt to play “heads up rugby”.

Forget Avatar 3D – It’s England v Wales in 3D!

Can’t be bothered or unwilling/unable to shell out over a hundred quid for the day to watch dull as ditch water England probably lose to the Taffs on Feb 7th? Mother-in-Law coming round? No worries! England might be as potent as a baby milk shandy but this idea is sure to make even Steve Borthwick look dynamic! 40 Cinemas around the country are going to attempt to broadcast the game live in glorious 3D!

England in 3D!!

How ace! Now I am a big fan of modern 3D films since I took the kids to see Bolt 3D. If you are not up to speed with the new fangled technology yet and remember the old 3D as crap, don’t worry! The shitty paper blue and red cellophane specs are gone, replaced by natty plastic shades, and the effects are brilliant!!</Now, I am not sure quite what a 30 foot high Shayne Williams will look like as he scores a try but hey I am game to find out. No booze of course (ahem…hipflask!) but I can't wait. Not sure what else I will miss. Will there still be a ten minute queue for a piss at half time?

Hape not Hope for English Centres

Pity Jon Clarke and Dominic Waldouck, centres in waiting

They must sit on the sidelines, promise on hold, while we try the former New Zealand rugby league international Shontayne Hape and persevere with the outstanding by Maori Riki Flutey…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/8455347.stm

Still no Strettle -  a player who operates in a different time and space to any other player in the Premiership.

And are Shaw and White still going to be playing and playing well enough for the World Cup in 2011?

Rob Andrew warns rugby law changes may drive away fans

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8391643.stm:

Andrew said there were widespread worries in the game
Rob Andrew has warned fans could be turned off by the way the laws of the game are being interpreted.

The Rugby Football Union’s director of elite rugby believes the way the laws are being applied is reducing entertainment for spectators.

Is he having a laugh?

The way the England teams is being coached is reducing entertainment. FULL STOP.

Sure, the law should take some blame but it’s not the be all and end all.

Other teams have managed to play attractive rugby at times recently.

Is this England’s only excuse for the tripe regularly served up?

Six Nations Prediction

England could finish anywhere.

With a whole big pot of luck, they could win it.

With an average run of luck and injuries, they could finish somewhere between third and fifth.

With a poor run, they could conceivably finish last.

Wales, Ireland and France have all got to be favourites in their clashes against England, regardless of location – on recent form, they have to be.

The Scots are almost resurgent under Andy Robinson – a man who knows all too well the stale England gameplan and the inept team of coaches.

Even Italy are a team who must surely one day claim the scalp of this once great team.

Three or four defeats out of five is by no means out of the question.

Andrew must go

After his review with the delusional Rob Andew, the BBC reports what can only be a lack of either honesty or judgement from the England hierarchy.

The former England fly-half claimed that Martin Johnson's side were far better than the one "hammered" 28-14 by Australia and 32-6 against New Zealand a year ago.

Was he watching the same games? For us, the trio of autumn internationals at best revisited the depths plumbed in previous autumns for the past three or four years.

Whilst the majority of the media leapt upon the fact that, against NZ, Jonny Wilkinson made a couple of crappy runs rather than even crappier kicks, the more balanced view from Joe Rugby Public was that the horrid day had taken brought more of a balance to this uneven match.

Even that previous stalwart of judgement and honesty Martin Johnson has erred badly under pressure:

Johnson, England’s 2003 World Cup-winning captain, has hit out at the “almost hysterical” criticism of his team and coaches John Wells and Mike Ford.

We think, after four years of stagnation and rising ticket prices in the face of declining quality, the public has every right to be hysterical while a succession of talented seconds-in-command of failed to deliver under pressure whilst the same backroom boys continue to steer a ship towards the abyss, totally neglectful in their ability to provide a framework for success.

In our opinion, the public and the media have been very restrained and remarkably analytical in their reaction to the continued lack of both entertainment and results, identifying Wells, Ford and Callard as the most likely architects of doom in conjunction with the abysmal law changes.

Johnson was elected for honesty but he has been tarnished by the in situ hierarchy above and below.

Rob Andrew must go. We are sick to death of this non-entity with his glib, valueless delusions and his utter lack of impact and judgement.

Ian McGeechan is the man who must be installed as hands-on head coach to bring the enjoyment back to the English game with Martin Johnson to continue in the MANAGER role in which he was appointed.

Only Clive Woodward has the strength of character to step into the Andrew role and bring a new broom to this tired and stale institution and implement the fresh ideas that McGeechan will bring.

Andrew Delusional

Lukewarm on the heels of the famously delusional England head coach Andy Robinson (a la England cricket coach David “we flippin’ murdered ‘em” Lloyd), Rob Andrew is the latest to fall into a delusion, this time of alleged improvement and competitiveness.

"We have closed the gap considerably when you look at what happened last autumn, when we were outplayed in both games against them," he said.

Hmmmm. Maybe.

Or….

Maybe it was a combination of a) law changes and b) bad weather.

Thanks for coming in Rob.

Lion Man

Just reading Ian McGeechan’s autobiography Lion Man.

I recommend it.

McGeechan is so renowed for his coaching that it’s easy to overlook what a good player he was (and he stopped playing before I can remember watching much rugby).

However, there’s one passage where he describes his coaching philosphy:

"I believe that when you put new players in or a relatively new team together, you've got to be pretty direct in your coaching; you have to give them a framework, and a thinking and an understanding, because if you haven't got one mind, and one overall idea of what you are trying to do, that's when you fall between two stools. Once you've got that base right, once you've got all the basics, you can do anything; you can mix and match and that's where the decision-making and the talent shows, and then bring the best out of each other... 

And when all else fails, what's the plan? Go forward, and win the contact. If you do that, you will probably win."

Now how relevant is that to the past six years of England rugby?

As Graham says, it should be coaching bread and butter (shame Graham doesn’t write more articles for the blog).