SCRUM V
Sunday, September 7, BBC Two Wales/2W, 5.30pm
SCRUM V LIVE: Dragons v Scarlets
Wednesday, September 10, BBC Two Wales/2W, 7pm
SCRUM V RADIO
Thursday, September 11, BBC Radio Wales, 7pm
SCRUM V LIVE: Blues v Ulster
Friday, September 12, BBC Two Wales/2W, 7pm
bbc.co.uk/scrumv
“The atmosphere in the team is great. You always know when the programme is going well when Jiffy (Jonathan Davies) takes the mickey out of you live on air. And it’s never in a nice way either!”, says Scrum V’s Gareth Lewis, talking about the return of a new look Scrum V to Sundays (September 7, BBC Two Wales/2W).
The series returns with a new set, new graphics and theme, new analysis system and new features but the same classic Scrum V team of Gareth Lewis, Gareth Charles and Jonathan Davies. “It’s a great team,” says Gareth Charles, “I love doing the commentaries with Jiffy, you never know what he’s going to come out with next, he’s such a character.”
There’s plenty for the Scrum V boys to get their teeth into this season with the fast-approaching autumn internationals in Cardiff, plenty of new talent in the Regional sides of the Magners League, plus the defence of the Grand Slam and Six Nations crown, before the much anticipated Lions tour of reigning World Cup winners South Africa in the summer.
“This year the big thing for me is definitely all of the tri-nations teams coming over here in the autumn,” says Gareth Lewis, from Bridgend. “We haven’t beaten New Zealand since 1953, so every time we come to play them you have this funny feeling, will this be the year? Of course, we came close in 2004 when we lost by a point and because it’s (Warren) Gatland you just wonder if it’s possible.”
This is a feeling that Gareth Charles, from Ponthenri, echoes. “I think New Zealand will definitely be the big draw in the autumn as far as we’re concerned. Just to get that win would be huge for Gatland and would be the pinnacle of a great year. The Grand Slam was fantastic and unexpected, but it showed that we’d matured a lot under Gatland and I think we can go into the tests with real confidence against all three.”
Both presenters believe that the ‘Gatland factor’ certainly plays a part in the current confidence in Welsh rugby. “The World Cup didn’t exactly go to plan,” says Gareth Lewis. “But then Gatland came in and managed to get something different out of pretty much the same group of players, and to be fair the players responded magnificently.
“I also think, injuries aside, there was a wake-up call in the first test against South Africa this summer, but with the improvement in the second test Wales might be ready to take the next step.”
“It’s going to be a big season for Gatland,” says Gareth Charles. “Second season syndrome is a big thing and I think he will look at it and develop the team and I think he’s got that capability. Plus, I think it will be interesting to see the challenge for the regions with Gatland’s second season in charge.”
The presenters agree that the key to the challenge of presenting both the Friday night live game and the Sunday evening magazine programme is having some fun.
“It really is good fun to do and the best ones are when you forget you’re sat in a studio and you’re on air and you just think to yourself after a few minutes ‘oh! blimey where did the time go?’,” says Lewis. “Often it really does feel like you're sat at home having a chat with your mates.”
And Gareth Charles relates a story of meeting up with an old school friend at the Royal Welsh Show earlier this year. “The guy said when they were down Abergavenny rugby club they loved the commentary, because he said he thought me and Jiffy were just like two guys down the pub talking about rugby, which I took as a nice back-handed compliment.”
Alongside the refreshed Scrum V magazine programme on Sunday, this week also sees two Scrum V Live games. Kicking off on Wednesday, September 10, with the all-Welsh derby between the Dragons from the East and the Scarlets from the West, and ex-Scarlets coach Phil Davies joins Stuart Davies and Gareth Lewis in the studio with commentary from Gareth Charles and Jonathan Davies. And on Friday, September 12, there’s live coverage of Blues v Ulster on BBC Two Wales/2W.
Rugby fans can get their daily fix of all the latest rugby news, match reports, exclusive features and competitions at the Scrum V website at bbc.co.uk/scrumv where you can plan your rugby season with a comprehensive fixture list, find out all about the best rugby songs, and also join in debates on the 606 message board.
Gareth Lewis will also be around on Thursday evening from 7pm on BBC Radio Wales for Scrum V Radio, with all the latest news and views from the rugby world. Listeners can phone the programme on 03700 100 110, text in on 81012 (start your message with the word ‘SCRUM’)*, email scrumv@bbc.co.uk and download the Scrum V podcast to catch up on all the rugby news by logging on to bbc.co.uk/wales.
*Sending an SMS message will cost 10-12p as network charges vary.
