By Zippy
February 19 2006

My brief review of an amazing edition of Scrum V tonight on the BBC. The entire half hour focused on the Ruddock affair and the role of the players in it.

I thought that was the most amazing half hour of drama I've ever seen on television and to think the only reason I watched was to see the Llanelli-Connacht highlights and maybe a bit of cup action ;-)

 

They each took up different roles in the drama:

 

Gareth Thomas - The accused clearly with something to hide, when probed he used his pre-briefed script from the WRU and when that failed he had the back up plan of good old shouting.

 

Eddie Butler - The prosecutor, clearly has the ability to wind people up without even trying and perhaps Gwyn Jones would have been a better member of the panel, succeeded only in winding Alfie up. Although perhaps not as much as if they had brought in Graham Thomas!!!

 

The Presenter - The calm voice of reason but asked the most probing questions and knew how to get more out of Alfie. Still no idea who he is.

 

Jiffy - Obviously a friend of Alfie's and struggling to balance being a pal with his paid job as a rugby pundit.

 

The only conclusion from the whole program apart from the sheer drama of it was to give further weight to the theories that Ruddock left because he had lost the dressing room and his relationship with Alfie had collapsed signified by the fact he said very little in praise of the outgoing Ruddock.

 

Amazing, a truly amazing edition of Scrum V

 

Linky from the BBC:

 

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4716202.stm>

There is also a thread on the messageboard where you can have your say:

http://www.sportnetwork.net/boards/read/s193.php?f=279&i=20861&t=20861&sid=193