No Beeno will not be on the air but read this ex Sport 24
SuperSport appear to have their analysis bases attractively covered for their back-to-back coverage on Saturday of Castle Rugby Championship clashes between New Zealand and Argentina and then the mutually pressured Australia and South Africa.
SS1 start their studio offering around 08:30, just over an hour ahead of the haka in Wellington, and it will be a surprise if the chat, spread over several hours, is mundane – not when it will feature three earthy rugby men in the shape of former Test coaches Nick Mallett (SA and Italy) and John Mitchell (New Zealand) plus the single-minded ex-Wallaby wing David Campese.
It seems the last-named two can’t get enough of our climes, even after Mitchell was unceremoniously axed as coach of the embattled Lions in Super Rugby.
Is he loitering here in search of another post? Or is he simply politely awaiting the outcome of an in-house “investigation” (for the relatively little it now matters) after Lions bosses indicated that complaints had been received about him from players?
Whatever the case, the bald giant remains suitably qualified and self-confident enough to pass judgement not only on the All Blacks, but also the Bok game which follows at 12:35 our time.
He should dovetail nicely with Mallett, who marvellously steers well clear of platitudes and is prepared to be both damning and effusive in equal measure if he feels the need. You may not agree with every word he booms out, but at least he is invigoratingly animated in doing so.
Campo, meanwhile, has his critics - but that is also mostly because of his own, major outspokenness over so many years!
Almost as familiar now with South African rugby structures as those back in Australia, where he was a 101-capper for the Wallabies and legendary for his goose-step, he should only get the studio humming to even higher levels.
I’d recommend earmuffs for telly-watchers not necessarily made of stern stuff, especially if the Boks bore us to death once more.
All that will be missing on Saturday will be an Argentinean voice, alas ... does Hugo Porta happen to be passing Randburg?
That at last seems like a panel worth listening too!!!
