The Breakdown

[Grumpy Old Man]

I see Matt Williams is tweeting that he won't be doing The Breakdown this season due to scheduling difficulties.

Anyone know if it is still being shown and who will be replacing him? A gig for Fast Eddie possibly?

[Leezer]

I see Matt Williams is tweeting that he won't be doing The Breakdown this season due to scheduling difficulties.

very disappointing indeed

[Slipper1]

I see Matt Williams is tweeting that he won't be doing The Breakdown this season due to scheduling difficulties.

Anyone know if it is still being shown and who will be replacing him? A gig for Fast Eddie possibly?

while its irrelevant to the conversation at hand , I'm presuming scheduling really means contract. Thats what I had read somewhere and far be it from me to start a rumour.

Its a shame as he was quite good at keeping franno in check.

[blockhead]

The long odds bet would be Hook replacing matt.
Sure himself and franno get on famously.

[Scrum 5]

I see Matt Williams is tweeting that he won't be doing The Breakdown this season due to scheduling difficulties.

very disappointing indeed

+1
Really enjoyed the show. May have been for the anoraks but learned a bit about the game and enjoyed the insights/banter given.

[Spud]

Real shame. I miss it already.

[TerenureJim]

There really is a gap in the market for an Irish centric Rugby magazine show or hell even just a podcast that'd cover from International down to AIL and possibly big local derbys in Junior leagues and schools cups. It'd be great to promote all levels of the game in a way similar to BBC Wales Scrum V (although maybe with a longer show to allow depth of analysis).

[Scott]

I got onto Setanta about it last week...
"Thanks for your email. I am afraid Matt Williams has decided to stay in Australia for now and obviously this has a big effect as The Breakdown is based on the dynamic between Neil and Matt. For now the show is off the air. Hopefully we can work on something for next year."


I take it from that that he has left his post in RC Narbonne. Don't do the twitter so don't now what he up to. I watch the BD in spite of that useless c**t francis. It was a great heighlights show & Williams gave great insight. Would love to see emmet byrne and liam toland front a show

[Donny B.]

They've been showing a kind of replacement called "In Touch" with some highlights from the top two Pro12 and Top14 games. No analysis though.

Francis being off the air is of course a blessing, and I was getting kinda tired of Mattie to be honest, but why can't they get some other lads in? It's not like there's a shortage of pundits out there at the moment.

[Rogocoko]

On antother note... anyone else think its about time we got a dedicated Free to air sportys Channel in Ireland? RTE sport or something it could show all the Pro 12 games, 6 nations, bog ball, stick fighting, football, boxing, ... and show replays and highlights etc, when there isn't any matches on.

[ronk]

On antother note... anyone else think its about time we got a dedicated Free to air sportys Channel in Ireland? RTE sport or something it could show all the Pro 12 games, 6 nations, bog ball, stick fighting, football, boxing, ... and show replays and highlights etc, when there isn't any matches on.

RTE would just mess it up, they missed their chance with Saorview, especially in relation to having a system for top-up TV.

[Dave Cahill]

On antother note... anyone else think its about time we got a dedicated Free to air sportys Channel in Ireland? RTE sport or something it could show all the Pro 12 games, 6 nations, bog ball, stick fighting, football, boxing, ... and show replays and highlights etc, when there isn't any matches on.

RTE would just mess it up, they missed their chance with Saorview, especially in relation to having a system for top-up TV.

Thats not really accurate though. RTE delivered what they were supposed to deliver ahead of time. The various private consortia who purchased the commercial licences for things like topuptv though never even managed to get to the starting line. Indeed with all the delays caused by the commercial side failing to meet their obligations, RTE were able to implement their obligation twice, firstly in MPEG-2 and then again using MPEG-4

[sheepshagger]

Joanne Cantwell to replace Matt perhaps?!?!

Could be worse, could be that Fitzpatrick woman from TV3...in between her Munster loving that is.

[Avenger]

Joanne Cantwell does some GAA work. I can't stand her. For someone who is supposed to have a background in the sport, her understanding of it is non existent. To be quite frank, she is a focking eejit.

[Donny B.]

Joanne Cantwell to replace Matt perhaps?!?!

Could be worse, could be that Fitzpatrick woman from TV3...in between her Munster loving that is.

No I don't think it could to be honest.

Her work on the two weeks of the year that RTE highlights thing (whose name escapes me) is more than what we need from her.

I don't watch TV3 so don't know of this Fitzpatrick woman but as she's on that station I'll take it on trust that she's a horrific harpie.

[Cianostays]

Eoin McDevitt would make a fantastic host for a highlights show imo

With a reasonable amount of ex pros who are worth listening to, I reckon a highlights show could become a ratings success and can't understand why there appears to be a complete lack of interest on RTE's part for making said show. It'd surely get more viewers than MNS would.

[Donny B.]

Eoin McDevitt would make a fantastic host for a highlights show imo

With a reasonable amount of ex pros who are worth listening to, I reckon a highlights show could become a ratings success and can't understand why there appears to be a complete lack of interest on RTE's part for making said show. It'd surely get more viewers than MNS would.

Good shout. He was doing a talk-sport thing on Setanta last year too that wasn't bad. That seems to have disappeared too though. Are Setanta going mad on cutbacks or something cause they don't seem to be showing any home-made programmes. It's all bought-in stuff like Golf Central.

[Donny B.]

With a reasonable amount of ex pros who are worth listening to, I reckon a highlights show could become a ratings success and can't understand why there appears to be a complete lack of interest on RTE's part for making said show. It'd surely get more viewers than MNS would.

Against the Head!! That's the name of that joke of a thing they throw together in and around the Six Nations. But yes, they can put together highlights shows for soccer and G.A.A but a rugby show seems to be beyond their imagining even though it would no doubt pick up a loyal audience even if shown at a late hour.

[TerenureJim]

With a reasonable amount of ex pros who are worth listening to, I reckon a highlights show could become a ratings success and can't understand why there appears to be a complete lack of interest on RTE's part for making said show. It'd surely get more viewers than MNS would.

Against the Head!! That's the name of that joke of a thing they throw together in and around the Six Nations. But yes, they can put together highlights shows for soccer and G.A.A but a rugby show seems to be beyond their imagining even though it would no doubt pick up a loyal audience even if shown at a late hour.

What gets me is RTÉ spending money on something like the Premiership covering sport in England when actual sport that's going on in this country played by Irish teams in terms of the Pro12 games and the AIL could be thrown into a magazine show with two talking heads. The bloody show is just a shite rip off of match of the day anyway.

[Scott]

They've been showing a kind of replacement called "In Touch" with some highlights from the top two Pro12 and Top14 games. No analysis though.

Francis being off the air is of course a blessing, and I was getting kinda tired of Mattie to be honest, but why can't they get some other lads in? It's not like there's a shortage of pundits out there at the moment.

Excellent didn't realise that they had a Pro12 highlights pack. I know they still show the Top14 & Aviva highlights package so that's great news will keep an eye out