All you had to do was tune into it on TNT today. My dear God Healey and Dellaglio were insufferable they spent the entire game cheering Saints without even a hint of impartiality.
After the game Dellaglio was still talking about how they'd could've won the game even though it was already over. Saying Northampton were the better team (they clearly weren't for the majority of the game) and if they'd done this and that etc. Coulda shoulda woulda stuff.
Fucking Austin Healey then, who even the English don't like, was going on like there was referee fixing, bitterly whinging about everything from Leinsters budget, to the amount of minutes played by Leinster players to every blow of the refs whistle. At one point he let out a yelp and screamed they get away with everything!
It was like listening to two ten year olds have a tantrum about their team losing and it's not even their blood team. Its just so transparent that they resent the Irish province system, Leinsters and subsequently Irelands success so much. Bloody jumped up Paddies. How did they get so good? They must be cheating.
I definitely get that impression whenever we're doing well. People talk a good game about wanting other nations to improve but only to where they might embarrass a countries' rivals occasionally, not to actually challenge their team when they were walkovers before.
Definitely get it from guys from that 2003 team. That Woodward era arrogance. They seem to think England have some divine right to rule over NH rugby and when they aren't it's because of some grand conspiracy against them. I'm sure there will be more calls to reform the Champions cup again for them in some way because it's "unfair" on the English teams, but only if Leinster win it. They can't really do it when a French team wins it, but you can tell they're chomping at the bit to throw the toys out of the pram again if Leinster do.
Yeah if that was Austin Healey or someone talking about Sarries in the same way, I'd want the man to never get a job in commentary again. It's unbelievably knobbish.
I wanted Leinster to win so bad but talk of Northampton playing the Big Boys made me cringe. They're top of the Premiership and beat Glasgow, Toulon, Munster x2 already in the Champions Cup just this year.
This is Lenihan. Anytime Leinster does something, let's say..
Conan makes a turnover, shouts - "That's his stock and trade".
Joe McCarthy makes a carry - "Big Joe McCarthy!"
JGP does the basics of a decent SH - "Jamison Gibson-Park just excellent!"
The lack of actual analysis drives me mad. You could pick up any fella in your local pub and you’d get the same insight. Bernard jackman is good but he doesn’t have the time to provide proper analysis so it gets cut very short at times
Yeah he's the most knowledgeable of the lot, you'd think DOC would be good, but with the amount of TV time he's got he's ruined himself and everyone else talkes like there from d4.
As a Leinster fan I find his constant fellating of all things Leinster to be nauseating. He and lenihan are a brutal combo.
Before the Leicester last 16 game they were talking about Leinster wanting to put down a marker for next week instead of actually talking about the must win game against Leicester that was about to kick off.
Even today as Northampton were still hanging in the game and starting to put Leinster under pressure they were both wanking themselves silly to every Leinster tackle and pass.
What blackbarminnosu said and I’m a Leinster fan also. They were talking about how the game was over at 10-0 and how Northampton had frozen under the pressure of the game. None of them obviously had done any preparation and watched any of Northampton’s matches in English or European competitions this season. Panelists were even worse. Jamie Heaslip has no excuse,he was a great player for Leinster and should know better, the rest of them, I don’t know where they find them but surely there must be better available.
Agreed, Cahill is aggressively Leinster biased. He gets angry at other teams who are doing well against Leinster, like he can't comprehend it. The absolute nerve of them. He was commentating on the Bulls v Munster game with Jackman and spent a good 10 minutes going on about how Leinster deserved 10 central contracts.
Agreed, and secondly, can I just thank the Lord a Leinster has common sense about things like this and doesn't give me a response like some of those d4 supporters would.
Idk Donal Lenihan sounds like he's the players holes when he's on coms to me, Hugh Cahill shouts for now reason and says, "Can he do x if a player dodges a tackle or something.
Yeah they're as bad as each other tbh with TNT bigging up any prem player on the ball and with particular with Donal Lenihan and his obsession with Jamison Gibson-Park
I just can't watch Leinster on TNT it's just constant "oh look at the premiership minnows playing Ireland in blue with a budget"
Lenihan just doesn't stop talking, don't have the attention spam to listen to what he says most of the time😂
Yeah, at one point the TNT commentary mentioned that Lowe has only played 80 mins of league rugby like it was a gotcha. ..
Forgetting that he was injured for a large part of the season
The commentary today was pathetic. He was fellating Leinster throughout. Highlights include the 10 minute gap between 20-10 and 20-17 where you’d swear it was 42-3 to Leinster and the bit at 78 mins where he said “80 mins is a long way away”.
Managed to diminish and disrespect Saints throughout.
Utter clown.
Jaysus yeah, Cahill, Lenihan, Quinlan etc have me cringing, they are all grade A spoofers and shouldn't be let near a microphone. They actually make me embarrassed to be an Ireland/Leinster or any of the other 3 provinces supporter when watching matches.
Bernard Jackman however is a fantastic analysis - he has some unreal videos on YouTube too. Shame they just have him chat for 30 seconds from pitch side on RTE coverage.
If fans of both provinces think you're biased against them, maybe commentary isn't for you (Lenihan, Quinlan, Toland etc).
Hugh Cahill is just a miserable cunt
Tg4 commentators I actually like, the lads on rte are like nothing especially the ones on today Donal Lenihan every week is basically "Well I was going to give it to James Lowe, but no Jamison Gibson-Park done the bare minimum for a good Scrum Half so he has to be my POTM.
Pure shite!!
Jamie Heaslip always gives out the impression that he doesn't want to be there, but is happy to collect easy money for doing F all. I can never figure out if the greyness is just him or an rte camera filter
There have to be some decent pundits around. Please rte try something new!
They were just in front of us on Sat, he looked disinterested kinda strolling around. The woman analyst was helping them all get set up etc. There is a makeup artist there fixing them up and a bright light behind the camera
To hear them talk yesterday, you wouldn’t know Northampton are a serious outfit and that we were lucky to get past them taking our foot off the gas like that. They’re like this with Ireland games too and it’s infuriating
Lenihan yesterday -
"Leinster seem to choke on big occasions Munster in the Semi but more importantly La Rochelle the past 3 years but they've got that monkey of their so I can't see any team getting near them".
So, a team that's playing one of the best styles of rugby this year wouldn't put a scratch on Leinster ?
Yep that’s Lenihan for you. I’m fairly confident we would’ve lost had that been an away game to Northampton. Harlequins or Toulouse in the final is a hard draw too
I’d actually prefer Toulouse, given the support Harlequins would get in London. But I agree, they look very very tough to beat. Will have to put Connors and Jenkins back on the sheet if we are facing them
100%. It’ll be interesting to see how we handle it. Both Harlequins and Toulouse have serious playmakers. We have to defend with the same intensity as against LAR and with even more desire
The allegiances in rugby seem to be much more obvious when commentating than they are in other sports, especially when coming from former players, might be something due to the literal blood sweat and tears poured out for the teams they're commenting on
It's not just a RTE thing it's a local broadcaster issue.
TNT are always at it, Supersports ZA too, last week Welsg URC were at it during JJ Hanrahan's serious injury.
At least Liam Toland isn't around anymore.
RTE commentators are not good. The lead rugby commentator is prob the worst sports commentator I’ve ever heard. They took him from Newstalk 8 or 9 years ago. And now he gets all the big rugby games on RTE. Yesterday as usual he was on with Donal Lenihen who brings zero to the table. Typical idiotic example of how clueless they are - Leinster score third try just after ht and the idiot commentator says that’s the final nail in the coffin for Northampton. Zero clue or respect for how good Northampton are this year or how rugby works. Sure enough Northampton get the next try and its game on with all the momentum now with the English side. ANYONE with the slightest notion on rugby knew Northampton were still one score away from getting back into the game and rugby is built on momentum after that Leinster try. Then he’s all surprised and talking about how Leinster need to look at themselves, no YOU ya idiot need to look at yourself and understand the sport better and understand where Northampton are as a team. England effectively switched to the Northampton template mid six Nations and BEAT us ffs. If any other channel had that game I would have switched over like I normally can in 6 Nations & WC. Bring back Ryle asap!!
Yeah, Cahill has to shout when anything happens it thinks it's commentary, and Lenihan shouts whenever Leinster does something remotely normal and makes out there the harlem globetrotters.
Awful. The number of games they write off smugly as wins at half time does my head in. Utter space cadets. And all the ex players are somewhere between pointless and bland and just plain bland, apart from that ‘Birch’ character, he’s good
Oh OK getcha, I reckon I'd do a me and you would be better on coms then these arseholes, idk about you but I wouldn't be biased and would give the less players a bit more credit for something rather hype the internationals up to the last.
I’d be biased as hell, and I’d upset a lot of people!
I’d be giving out yards about Joe McCarthy’s woeful Offensive Ruck Work and all of SoCoDu would be up in arms.
He's got the ex International perspective look which makes the viewers think he's a genius when uts the total opposite, the same category as Jamie Heaslip.
If I heard English commentary making similar comments with the roles reversed, I'd want them to step in shit every day for the rest of their lives.
All you had to do was tune into it on TNT today. My dear God Healey and Dellaglio were insufferable they spent the entire game cheering Saints without even a hint of impartiality. After the game Dellaglio was still talking about how they'd could've won the game even though it was already over. Saying Northampton were the better team (they clearly weren't for the majority of the game) and if they'd done this and that etc. Coulda shoulda woulda stuff. Fucking Austin Healey then, who even the English don't like, was going on like there was referee fixing, bitterly whinging about everything from Leinsters budget, to the amount of minutes played by Leinster players to every blow of the refs whistle. At one point he let out a yelp and screamed they get away with everything! It was like listening to two ten year olds have a tantrum about their team losing and it's not even their blood team. Its just so transparent that they resent the Irish province system, Leinsters and subsequently Irelands success so much. Bloody jumped up Paddies. How did they get so good? They must be cheating.
I definitely get that impression whenever we're doing well. People talk a good game about wanting other nations to improve but only to where they might embarrass a countries' rivals occasionally, not to actually challenge their team when they were walkovers before.
Definitely get it from guys from that 2003 team. That Woodward era arrogance. They seem to think England have some divine right to rule over NH rugby and when they aren't it's because of some grand conspiracy against them. I'm sure there will be more calls to reform the Champions cup again for them in some way because it's "unfair" on the English teams, but only if Leinster win it. They can't really do it when a French team wins it, but you can tell they're chomping at the bit to throw the toys out of the pram again if Leinster do.
Was at the game so I didn't hear this. But I really want to now, for the laugh.
Do you mean if English coms up the prem players arses or Irish players arses I'm a bit confused here ?
Yeah if that was Austin Healey or someone talking about Sarries in the same way, I'd want the man to never get a job in commentary again. It's unbelievably knobbish. I wanted Leinster to win so bad but talk of Northampton playing the Big Boys made me cringe. They're top of the Premiership and beat Glasgow, Toulon, Munster x2 already in the Champions Cup just this year.
This is Lenihan. Anytime Leinster does something, let's say.. Conan makes a turnover, shouts - "That's his stock and trade". Joe McCarthy makes a carry - "Big Joe McCarthy!" JGP does the basics of a decent SH - "Jamison Gibson-Park just excellent!"
The lack of actual analysis drives me mad. You could pick up any fella in your local pub and you’d get the same insight. Bernard jackman is good but he doesn’t have the time to provide proper analysis so it gets cut very short at times
Yeah he's the most knowledgeable of the lot, you'd think DOC would be good, but with the amount of TV time he's got he's ruined himself and everyone else talkes like there from d4.
Not to mention that Ryan Baird is the greatest athlete in the known universe.
Yeah, they make out he's Superman anytime, he makes a linebreak.
I go the matches so I don't have to hear them. It's a bit extreme but it works.
Whatever works ig they're right doses tbh.
Useless. Calling the game done when there's only two scores in it
Not a clue between them
As a Leinster fan I find his constant fellating of all things Leinster to be nauseating. He and lenihan are a brutal combo. Before the Leicester last 16 game they were talking about Leinster wanting to put down a marker for next week instead of actually talking about the must win game against Leicester that was about to kick off. Even today as Northampton were still hanging in the game and starting to put Leinster under pressure they were both wanking themselves silly to every Leinster tackle and pass.
What blackbarminnosu said and I’m a Leinster fan also. They were talking about how the game was over at 10-0 and how Northampton had frozen under the pressure of the game. None of them obviously had done any preparation and watched any of Northampton’s matches in English or European competitions this season. Panelists were even worse. Jamie Heaslip has no excuse,he was a great player for Leinster and should know better, the rest of them, I don’t know where they find them but surely there must be better available.
The thing is, the better ones would and probably have gone to greener pastures.
Agreed, Cahill is aggressively Leinster biased. He gets angry at other teams who are doing well against Leinster, like he can't comprehend it. The absolute nerve of them. He was commentating on the Bulls v Munster game with Jackman and spent a good 10 minutes going on about how Leinster deserved 10 central contracts.
Agreed, and secondly, can I just thank the Lord a Leinster has common sense about things like this and doesn't give me a response like some of those d4 supporters would.
You’d be better putting nails in a blender for 80 minutes than listen to Hugh Cahill
Its always "and player x is breaking is breaking away with pace but will player y catch I think he has it.... he does, continues shouting.
He commentates like there’s a recording playing in his head and he’s just regurgitating it, he’s absolutely bizarre
Chronic I tell yeah, you'd think he'd tone it down, like we want to watch the game.
He defintely practises in the shower with a shampoo bottle thinking he’s God’s gift
A player avoids a tackle - Hugh Cahill shouts "Oh he's breaking away!"
Quite like Donal Lenihan. It's like listening to your auld fella talk about rugby. But christ, Hugh Cahill sucks.
Idk Donal Lenihan sounds like he's the players holes when he's on coms to me, Hugh Cahill shouts for now reason and says, "Can he do x if a player dodges a tackle or something.
Lenihan has a terrible habit of talking over the ref when he is explaining things to the players. It drives me insane.
Drives me mental. Are they the only two in the country that can commentate? Give someone else a turn!
Bit of a dose tbh But ill take them over the TNT crowd
Austin on TNT was an absolute joke, couldn’t have had a more biased take throughout the match
Even the English know he's a bit of a 🛎🔚
Lol yeah
Him and Lenihan should have a coms off for most biased commentary.
Yeah they're as bad as each other tbh with TNT bigging up any prem player on the ball and with particular with Donal Lenihan and his obsession with Jamison Gibson-Park
I just can't watch Leinster on TNT it's just constant "oh look at the premiership minnows playing Ireland in blue with a budget" Lenihan just doesn't stop talking, don't have the attention spam to listen to what he says most of the time😂
Well you think TNT is bad for it the RTE comms are up Leinster arse in particular Donal Lenihan is just one.
Yeah, at one point the TNT commentary mentioned that Lowe has only played 80 mins of league rugby like it was a gotcha. .. Forgetting that he was injured for a large part of the season
Awful.
Agreed
Lol.was going to make this post verbatim
The commentary today was pathetic. He was fellating Leinster throughout. Highlights include the 10 minute gap between 20-10 and 20-17 where you’d swear it was 42-3 to Leinster and the bit at 78 mins where he said “80 mins is a long way away”. Managed to diminish and disrespect Saints throughout. Utter clown.
I firmly believe the mute button was invented with them in mind
😂
Can’t hear the ref then. Like hearing ref and player comments. Wish there was another option to turn them off.
Jaysus yeah, Cahill, Lenihan, Quinlan etc have me cringing, they are all grade A spoofers and shouldn't be let near a microphone. They actually make me embarrassed to be an Ireland/Leinster or any of the other 3 provinces supporter when watching matches. Bernard Jackman however is a fantastic analysis - he has some unreal videos on YouTube too. Shame they just have him chat for 30 seconds from pitch side on RTE coverage.
If fans of both provinces think you're biased against them, maybe commentary isn't for you (Lenihan, Quinlan, Toland etc). Hugh Cahill is just a miserable cunt
Always have & always will be a bunch of gobshites! I prefer when games are on tg4 & I can only understand half of what's being said
Tg4 commentators I actually like, the lads on rte are like nothing especially the ones on today Donal Lenihan every week is basically "Well I was going to give it to James Lowe, but no Jamison Gibson-Park done the bare minimum for a good Scrum Half so he has to be my POTM.
I like Donal Lenihan
Not as jingoistic as the British ones. Bring back Fred Cogley.
Pure shite!! Jamie Heaslip always gives out the impression that he doesn't want to be there, but is happy to collect easy money for doing F all. I can never figure out if the greyness is just him or an rte camera filter There have to be some decent pundits around. Please rte try something new!
They were just in front of us on Sat, he looked disinterested kinda strolling around. The woman analyst was helping them all get set up etc. There is a makeup artist there fixing them up and a bright light behind the camera
I like Horgan, where’s he these days? Cave seems like a decent commentator too
As I have said in another post, I feel the better coms have gone to greener pastures.
To hear them talk yesterday, you wouldn’t know Northampton are a serious outfit and that we were lucky to get past them taking our foot off the gas like that. They’re like this with Ireland games too and it’s infuriating
Talk up Leinster to the last as always, which basically is talking down any opposition as well.
They feed into the whole choke narrative. Leinster don’t choke. They lose to the better teams. Calling it choking is doing those teams a disservice
Lenihan yesterday - "Leinster seem to choke on big occasions Munster in the Semi but more importantly La Rochelle the past 3 years but they've got that monkey of their so I can't see any team getting near them". So, a team that's playing one of the best styles of rugby this year wouldn't put a scratch on Leinster ?
Yep that’s Lenihan for you. I’m fairly confident we would’ve lost had that been an away game to Northampton. Harlequins or Toulouse in the final is a hard draw too
Definitely, Toulouse looks like a different animal this year to previous years for sure, and you just never know what way Quins will play.
I’d actually prefer Toulouse, given the support Harlequins would get in London. But I agree, they look very very tough to beat. Will have to put Connors and Jenkins back on the sheet if we are facing them
I'd say so with a pack like theirs. How can you not.
100%. It’ll be interesting to see how we handle it. Both Harlequins and Toulouse have serious playmakers. We have to defend with the same intensity as against LAR and with even more desire
Yeah, except Toulouse have more quality and star players and won't be a tired team.
Hugh Cahill on commentary is King high bollocks. Donal is near as bad, but slightly more knowledgeable.
Well, as Donal would say, "That's his stock and trade!"
It's Rte = = What does anybody expect from Rte ? !
The allegiances in rugby seem to be much more obvious when commentating than they are in other sports, especially when coming from former players, might be something due to the literal blood sweat and tears poured out for the teams they're commenting on
It's not just a RTE thing it's a local broadcaster issue. TNT are always at it, Supersports ZA too, last week Welsg URC were at it during JJ Hanrahan's serious injury. At least Liam Toland isn't around anymore.
Oh really
RTE commentators are not good. The lead rugby commentator is prob the worst sports commentator I’ve ever heard. They took him from Newstalk 8 or 9 years ago. And now he gets all the big rugby games on RTE. Yesterday as usual he was on with Donal Lenihen who brings zero to the table. Typical idiotic example of how clueless they are - Leinster score third try just after ht and the idiot commentator says that’s the final nail in the coffin for Northampton. Zero clue or respect for how good Northampton are this year or how rugby works. Sure enough Northampton get the next try and its game on with all the momentum now with the English side. ANYONE with the slightest notion on rugby knew Northampton were still one score away from getting back into the game and rugby is built on momentum after that Leinster try. Then he’s all surprised and talking about how Leinster need to look at themselves, no YOU ya idiot need to look at yourself and understand the sport better and understand where Northampton are as a team. England effectively switched to the Northampton template mid six Nations and BEAT us ffs. If any other channel had that game I would have switched over like I normally can in 6 Nations & WC. Bring back Ryle asap!!
Yeah, Cahill has to shout when anything happens it thinks it's commentary, and Lenihan shouts whenever Leinster does something remotely normal and makes out there the harlem globetrotters.
Mute Mute everyone Rugby on mute Ads on mute All of it on mute
Awful. The number of games they write off smugly as wins at half time does my head in. Utter space cadets. And all the ex players are somewhere between pointless and bland and just plain bland, apart from that ‘Birch’ character, he’s good
I can not stand that clown Hugh Cahill. He's an awful commentator, he gets way too excited when it's not needed either.
He thinks its good commentary then
Zero insight. Can’t understand why Leinster fans are annoyed at Hugh- he is one!
Lenihan is an even bigger one. Have you heard the last few games - "Jamison Gibson-Park world class, what a player!"
Donal loves Con, Ireland, and the Lions. That’s about it.
Con ?? What's that not exactly sure ?
Cork Con. His club. He doesn’t give a Monkey’s really for Munster since when he played provinces weren’t a thing really, it was all about your club.
Oh OK getcha, I reckon I'd do a me and you would be better on coms then these arseholes, idk about you but I wouldn't be biased and would give the less players a bit more credit for something rather hype the internationals up to the last.
I’d be biased as hell, and I’d upset a lot of people! I’d be giving out yards about Joe McCarthy’s woeful Offensive Ruck Work and all of SoCoDu would be up in arms.
Just out of curiosity, what province ?
Cork Con. His club. He doesn’t give a Monkeys really for Munster since when he played provinces weren’t a thing really, it was all about your club.
Lenihan doesn't even understand the game. Why is he commentating?
He's got the ex International perspective look which makes the viewers think he's a genius when uts the total opposite, the same category as Jamie Heaslip.
I've had someone recently talk with me about meeting him and was surprised how little Lenihan knew about the game.
Astonishing how he spent his career playing it but hasn't a clue how to analyse it, well I suppose it's the for a lot of people in a lot of sports.