Simon Reed wasn't in Melbourne, unlike the others, so was always going to be less prominent as the number of matches reduced.

Former BBC MotoGP presenter Matt Roberts has joined British Eurosport to anchor its coverage of the 2014 MCE British Superbike Championship and Superbike World Championship.

Roberts will be on-site for all British Superbike races, including the new shows on Saturday that will show live British Superbike qualifying and the Supersport sprint race.

He will be joined for all the thrilling BSB action by former superbike riders James Haydon and James Whitham and commentator Jack Burnicle.

In addition to his British Superbike duties, Roberts will present British Eurosport’s World Superbikes coverage.

BBC 6 Nations Line Up Week 1

Wales vs Italy
Presenter - Jason Mohammad
Pundits - Martyn Williams and Shane Williams
Commentators - Andrew Cotter and Jonathan Davies

France vs England
Presenter - John Inverdale
Pundits - Clive Woodward, Jeremy Guscott and Thomas Castaignede
Commentators - Eddie Butler and Brian Moore

Ireland vs Scotland
Presenter - John Inverdale
Pundits - Keith Wood, Andy Nicol and Jonathan Davies
Commentators - Andrew Cotter, Phillip Matthews and Chris Paterson

RTE's commentators/reporters for their first two games Vs Scotland and Wales can also be found Here

Friday 31st January - BBC Two Wales

Scrum V Live: Wales Under-20s v Italy Under-20s

Ross Harries presenting from Parc Eirias alongside Martyn Williams, with Sean Holley in the analysis truck

Commentators: Gareth Charles, Robert Jones and Martyn Williams

Reporter: Phil Steele

There's no alternative Welsh language commentary tonight as coverage of football's January transfer deadline day is taking priority on the Red Button.

Apologies if this was discussed further back in the thread but I was out of the country for nearly six months last year and am still catching up on things from last summer!

The reason Davies stepped down from Hockey was because the BBC were not going to be providing the coverage for last year's European Championships or this year's Commonwealth Games, it's been outsourced to another company (Sunset & Vine?).

I came across an internet blog written by his son who said that even if S&V had wanted Barry to cover the Hockey, it was being done off-tube anyway and he didn't fancy that, so thought it was time to bow out gracefully.

He confirmed that Barry was not retiring, and (if asked) would still be doing Wimbledon. Apparantly, he has also been doing the Boat Race on the world feed for the BBC.

It's the 50th anniversary of Match of the Day this year - wouldn't it be wonderful if he came back for the anniversary show?

Scotland A v England Saxons (Fri) - Scottish Rugby Online

Commentators: Paul Mitchell and Al Kellock
Pitchside (Pre, HT and post match): Jim Mason with Al Kellock and England U18 headcoach John Fletcher

This was broadcast online on youtube. Although a RBS/SRU broadcast featuring BBC's Paul Mitchell and Jim Mason who is a presenter/producer for BBC Radio Scotland.

They were awful last week - barely mentioend Warwinka for most of the match.

Thankfully Jonathan Overend is on duty this weekend rather than Castle, with John Lloyd. Sue Barker hosted last night with Ross Hutchins in the studio.

Was Castle inflicted on Eurosport viewers?

Saturday 1st February - BBC One

Live Six Nations: Wales v Italy

Jason Mohammad presented from the Millennium Stadium alongside Ryan Jones, Carlo del Fava and Martyn Williams

Commentators: Andrew Cotter and Jonathan Davies

Reporter: Ross Harries


Live Six Nations: France v England

John Inverdale presented from the Stade de France alongside Sir Clive Woodward, Thomas Castaignede and Jeremy Guscott

Commentators: Eddie Butler and Brian Moore, with analysis from Andy Nicol

Reporter: Sonja McLaughlan

Would like to see Andrew Cotter become the main BBC rugby commentator - far better than Eddie Butler. Time they kicked Brian Moore into touch too and most of their old pundits to be fair. They do at least put a few new guys into the mix now - but that just shows up how poor the likes of Guscott are.


Ross Harries presenting Ireland v Wales next week, then presumably Gabby Logan returns as Splash will be wrapped up by the 3rd round.

Guscott, Davies, Moore Woodward, Even Phillip Matthews is beginning to annoy me. List of one-eyed pundits. Andy Nicols beard is a shocker, but a decent pundit

Likes of Martyn Williams and Chris Paterson have came in and have been good. Quite enjoyed Carlo del Fava yesterday.

Ireland v Scotland - BBC1
John Inverdale with Keith Wood, Andy Nicol and Jonathan Davies

Comms: Andrew Cotter, Chris Paterson and Philip Matthews.
Reporter: Jill Douglas

Both are superb but Butler's voice is fantastic for commentary, plus he has been there and done that, so he edges it for me.

Sunday 2nd February - Channel 4

American Football Live: Super Bowl XLVIII: Seattle Seahawks v Denver Broncos

Colin Murray presented from MetLife Stadium alongside Mike Carlson and Terrell Davis, with Nat Coombs pitchside

Commetators: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman (as Fox)

Reporters: Erin Andrews (Broncos sideline) and Pam Oliver (Seahawks sideline) (as Fox)

Trophy Presentation: Michael Strahan (as Fox)

Vernon Kay joined Colin and Mike in the studio during the first half hour of their build-up from 10.30pm before Terrell Davis, a Super Bowl winning running back with the Denver Broncos, replaced him in the studio for the rest of their live coverage.

As a studio pundit, yes.

Wigan chairman Ian Lenagan questions Rugby Football League chairman Brian Barwick's decision to negotiate Super League's next television deal three years before its current package ends. The sport has announced a new five-year deal with Sky Sports worth around £200m, with the current £127m deal set to expire at the end of 2016.


Lenagan says: "I believe it is a dreadful commercial decision to be agreeing in 2014, with three years still to go on Super League's current deal, a new deal for Super League TV rights for the five future years at only a 30% increase and without going out to tender.

so do they think BT would of offered more than Sky?

BBC Six Nations lineup for Round 2:

Ireland v Wales
Presenter: Ross Harries
Pundits: Jonathan Davies & Keith Wood
Commentators: Eddie Butler, Phillip Matthews & Martyn Williams

Scotland v England
Presenter: John Inverdale
Pundits: Jeremy Guscott, Andy Nicol & Clive Woodward
Commentators: Andrew Cotter, Brian Moore & Chris Paterson

France v Italy
Presenter: John Inverdale
Pundits: ????
Commentators: Andrew Cotter & Jonathan Davies

So Andrew Cotter has two games again this weekend, maybe the BBC are listening!

I was expecting a third comm to appear on France v Italy. I dunno whether Ekykn is still a 'BBC' comm with his BT stuff, or Connor McNamara is being considered (who I think is hopless on rugby).

Kinda looks like BBC are going back to 2009/10 just after they lost Mullins by using the third comm on the final weekend only possibly.

Did Sky take the FOX commentary as well?

Yes they did.

Eykyn was on 5 Live for the England game, alongside Ben Kay. I presume, it being a non-Premiership weekend they borrowed some of BT Sport's team. Am I right in thinking that McNamara is a football specialist? It's a lot of travelling for Cotter to do a game at Murrayfield and then one in Paris in less than 24 hours though.

Can't say I'm surprised they didn't use a third comm on France-Italy seeing as Wal-Ita and Eng-Fra had just the two. (Though personally I prefer a forward and a back BT Sport style).

Interested to see who is the third commentator on the last Saturday though (and on what game - my guess is Eng-Ita with Cotter doing Wal-Sco and Butler Fra-Ire), it could be Eykyn as it's LV Cup again that weekend, or McNamara, IIRC they used a different Alastair on the Eng-NZ highlights in the autumn though (double-barrelled name?).

Alastair Bruce-Ball.

I like Eykyn. Prefer it if he got the 3rd pick games. Conor McNamara is primarily a football man, but has done some rugby for tv/radio. However McNamara infuriated me on some games like Italy-Ireland when he couldn't ID players in rucks or whatever so would rattle off hundreds of facts of meaningless proportions.

I think it was good having the main 3 comms. Mullins hole is still there. I really enjoyed Mullins on the BBC rugger but i'm not quite so sure on him sense he has went elsewhere.

Although I'd have Eykyn has #3, honourable mention to Huw Llywelyn Davies. I thought he was very good on the game he filled in for Cotter last year. Although I understand he mostly commentates in Welsh? The Diff or our welsh contingent may know that one.

Talking of Welsh. BBC's Wales v Italy game they might as well have called it Scrum V ha! Mohammad, Harris, Davies, Martyn Williams, Ryan Jones.

Ali Eykyn has done commentaries this season for 5 Live on both internationals and the Heineken Cup. It looks like BT Sport are happy for him to do some radio work when it doesn't interfere with their commitments but don't won't him working on TV commentaries.

It is a bit of travel for Cotter, but he's done it before. When he was ill last season during the Italy/Wales game he was scheduled to travel and work the Scotland game the next day.

My guess would be that Cotter does double headers for the first two rounds and then Butler would do them for rounds 3 and 4.

I believe he's S4C's lead rugby union commentator and thus commentates on all of Wales games in the Six Nations for them. He was originally covering Italy v Wales for them last year before being drafted in by BBC One at half-time, with his co-commentator Gwyn Jones taking over in the lead role on S4C.

Similarly, BBC Two Wales' excellent rugby union commentator on Scrum V Gareth Charles commentates on all of Wales' Six Nations matches for BBC Radio Wales, which is why we don't hear him on Super Saturday. Sensibly, the BBC would rather use someone who wouldn't otherwise be committed on the least significant game on the final day rather than seriously mess with one of the top teams on their radio coverage.

Interesting to see that Ross Harries will be hosting BBC One's network coverage of the crunch Ireland v Wales match. I was surprised enough to see him being used as BBC One's pitchside reporter on the Wales v Italy game (incidentally, I read on the Sky Sports app that Graham Thomas has been covering events at Swansea City today for Sky Sports News - is he the same Graham Thomas who hosted Scrum V in the mid 2000s and was one of BBC TV's Six Nations reporters until recently?). I was expecting to see Jason Mohammad presenting coverage of this game, but with Ross having taken over from Jason as the host of BBC Wales' Six Nations Specials then I guess this follows.

Sunday 2nd February - BBC Two Wales

Scrum V: Six Nations Special

Ross Harries presented alongside Gwyn Jones, Gareth Thomas, Rob Henderson and Martyn Williams

Wales v Italy - Andrew Cotter and Jonathan Davies, with Ross Harries conducting post-match interviews
France v England - Eddie Butler and Brian Moore
Ireland v Scotland - Andrew Cotter, Phillip Matthews and Chris Paterson

Stat Pad - Sean Holley
Wales Women v Italy Women - Cathy Williams (reporting)
Wales Under-20s v Italy Under-20s - Gareth Charles, Robert Jones and Martyn Williams

There was also a pre-recorded interview that Ross Harries conducted earlier in the day with Keith Wood from the BBC's Aviva Stadium studio, there was a piece showing the John family in Aberbargoed watching the Wales v Italy game and the closing montage previewing next weekend's Ireland v Wales match was voiced by Carolyn Hitt.

I think Harries is only doing it because Jason Mohammad is now in Russia for the Winter Olympics. And Gabby Logan is doing Splash!