TV Review: World Cup commentary

When Sonny Bill Williams changed his shirt on the field during the opening match of the World Cup it wasn't only the ladies in the stands - and at home - who got excited.

Grant Fox, the insightful rugby comments man, had a bit of a Mexted moment. There was a little animated glee and even a hint of naughty innuendo to his observations.

"You can't just slip it [the jersey] on like you did in the old days, particularly not when you're built like that man," he said.

That, and Grant Nisbett's "Legitimate. That's a big word for a lock" comment about Ali Williams, were rare, light-hearted moments from the workmanlike Sky Sport team.

But then that's Sky for you - mostly by the book with touches of personal flavour from the likes of Justin Marshall ("I don't know how to say I'm speechless without talking so I'll just stay quiet").

He didn't call the opener, but was in fine lippy form during the weekend's humdinger between Argentina and England in Dunedin. You always learn something from Marshall, be it about rules, playmaking, or referees' decisions, even if he's a little klutzy at times.

Commentating is a tough business, especially at World Cup time.

Not only do they have to call the game without stating the obvious, as well as inform, enthral, and emote, but try getting your tongue around names such as Khinchagashvili and Chkhikvadze from Georgia who play this week.

Sky showed it is the leader in the commentary stakes during the opening game (and over the weekend) because its chaps have had the most game time.

Over on Maori TV, main man Te Arahi Maipi, Scottish bro' Gavin Hastings (who's similar to Foxy or Marshall), and former Tongan captain Inoke Afeaki just call it like it is.

For example, Afeaki boiled down the significance of the All Blacks and Tongan haka challenges to: "Two teams yelling at each other saying, 'This is it. Over the next 80 minutes we are going to rip you to bits."'

What makes the Maori TV commentators unique is the casual tone, a style which is not for everyone but provides a few more laughs than the other networks.

Meanwhile, TV One's Andrew Saville, Jeff Wilson and Taine Randell were solid but suffered a little from lack of match fitness.

But Goldie was as sharp as he was on the wing back in the day with his knowledge and play-making nous - and when the game came to life the TV One trio also kicked up a gear.

Coverage of the games was riveting and in your face - be it close-ups of cheeky England hooker Steve Thompson giving his Argentine opposite a kiss on the cheek, to the many and varied camera angles on offer during replays.

While Fiji v Namibia at Rotorua and Scotland v Romania in Invercargill looked more like ITM Cup games than internationals, they were still festive spectacles in "picture perfect" weather.

The new indoor Dunedin stadium, with its intimate, close-to-the-action set-up, stole the show despite a scrappy English win.

With the rival fans in fine voice the atmosphere was akin to a football game at Old Trafford.

As veteran commentator Tony Johnson put it: "It's a modern stadium, but an old-fashioned contest." Nice one, TJ.