Originally Posted by LOSG:
“I like it on BT (and ESPN previously) but I hate it on Sky and the BBC where the 3rd man feels a bit pointless. Would rather Harrison and Barnes were left to themselves.”
Yes, I think it's more a case of some broadcasters picking pairs of co-commentators badly than anything else. For me BBC Sport don't always make a great choice in the commentary box for rugby union internationals, particularly during the Autumn Internationals when the co-commentators from the Southern Hemisphere are typically inexperienced, so speak less and can feel like a bit of an unnecessary third wheel.
Wales v South Africa last year was a standout example of this for me, having watched the game in a busy venue I didn't actually realise they were using a South African analyst in addition to the main Welsh co-commentator given how little he contributed. I think that says it all!
I haven't seen enough of BT Sport's rugby union coverage to form an opinion on it, but I'm told that generally the third man commentary teams they use work well, mainly because they pick their co-commentators from a small pool of regulars who are used to this style of commentary. I quite enjoy hearing multiple co-commentators on football, given how it's much more of a rarer thing in that sport and how generally you only tend to hear senior co-commentators employed together on more significant matches.