Frontlines: Green Machine

Three hours before kick-off, Hot Press is greeted at Aviva Stadium by George Griffiths, Sky Sports Production Manager. The stands may be empty – the teams, in fact, have still not arrived – but in the bowels of the stadium, the TV trucks are already a hive of activity.

Looking at it from the outside, the vehicle housing the Sky Sports team doesn’t look like much. To call it deceptively small would probably be misleading; it is small. George, though, assures us that it is comparatively spacious considering some of the facilities they’ve worked in before.
Inside, endless banks of monitors and desks make it look as much like mission control at NASA as the hardware required to bring live sporting action to living rooms across Ireland, the UK and beyond.
There’s already plenty of action: the ENG (or electronic news gathering) camera is out and about, capturing shots of the fans arriving; the pundits are busily scribbling notes; highlights packages are being cut together by the vision team. It’s the perfect storm, as the different limbs of the production team work in unison to get the show on the road.
It is, of course, a well-oiled machine. Sky Sports broadcast over 360 live rugby games through the season, and the recent addition of Pro12 action to the existing European and International coverage means that there’s more content beamed out from these shores than ever before. On this particular occasion, there’s a 45-strong Sky Sports contingent in Dublin for the game, as well as a team back at base in London.
Communication buzzes through radios and headsets all day long, all under the supervision of Alex, the resident sound magician, described by George as their “unsung hero.” He’s also the man responsible for music, commentary, sound effects – basically anything you hear during a broadcast, including the stuff you probably shouldn’t.
“There can be a bit of bad language from time to time!” laughs Alex. “In the heat of battle, it happens. We’ll fade it out, then call through to a director to make sure the commentators apologise for anything obscene people might have heard.”
Just a few feet away, in a separate vehicle, the graphics department are preparing for their day. Taking a feed from sports data kings Opta, the team is responsible for all the little factoids that pop up on screen, from tackle counts to possession graphics. It’s all thoroughly calm an hour before kick-off, until a late change to the Irish team is announced; Chris Henry has been ruled out. The Sky Sports crew kicks into action.
A click of a button, and Henry’s photo disappears from the starting line-up. Another, and the face of Leinster flanker Rhys Ruddock appears in his stead. “Can you get me Tommy O’Donnell’s Opta code?” someone shouts; a few seconds later, the finer points of the new substitute’s rugby history are cued-up to appear if and when necessary.
The expert pundits are adjusting similarly: Alan Quinlan is already speculating as to how the enforced change will affect the Irish approach at the breakdown, while Paul Wallace turns to HP to discuss the change. We proffer, as any red-blooded Munster supporter should, that it’s only right for O’Donnell to be in the squad. The Cork-born Wallace grins in partisan agreement.
There’s scarcely an opportunity to draw breath before commentator Mark Robson is ready talk to Joe Schmidt in the players’ tunnel. The shot is framed, sound checked, lighting adjusted, and it’s go time. A hush falls, as Ireland’s coach outlines his game plan. Some in the truck aren’t impressed; Quinlan opines that Schmidt doesn’t sound confident of victory. It’s soon time for the former Munster man to head for his position in the commentary box and prepare for the game.
“Commentary is way harder than analysis,” explains Quinny, who’s part of the furniture at Sky Sports: his off-air role sees him act as an athlete mentor in their Living For Sport programme. “As a pundit, you’re just answering a few questions, but commentating is 80 or 90 minutes of constant talking. It’s tough stuff!” And with that, he’s out the door and up to his work station for the next three hours.
Once matters are wrapped up at Twickenham, where the hosts have been beaten by New Zealand, it’s show time. Director Simon is bellowing instructions across the truck: “GO BLUE!”; “CUE RED!” We make our way to our seats for a pitchside angle, while the Sky Sports team bring viewers at home the best view they could ever want.
En route to their impressive 29-15 victory, a lineout drive sees the Irish No. 7 touch down. ‘Rhys Ruddock’ reads the on-screen graphic. ‘First try for Ireland’. Thank goodness the graphics crew were on their toes...