'Genuinely awful' - No fond farewell from rugby fans as Phil Kearns exits the commentary box, possibly for the last time
When a commentator leaves his commentary box – possibly for the final time – generally you’d expect a certain amount of reverence, decorum and good will expressed by fans towards said party. Not in Phil Kearns’ case.
Fox Sports wrapped up their final Wallabies Test match after 25 years broadcasting the sport in Australia and the outspoken former hooker had been at the helm of their coverage much of that quarter-century.
Rugby fans however seemed more relieved that Kearns had finally stepped away from the mic. If truth be told, he’s become a figure that’s profoundly disliked by the sport’s fanbase. As an outspoken pundit, you’re always going to have your critics, yet Kearns etched out a career in which few if any fans ever have anything kind to say about the man.
And that’s what played out on Twitter, as Kearns called maybe his final game, as the Wallabies drew with Argentina at the Bankwest Stadium.
“Whenever anybody ever complains about Brian Moore, or Stuart Barnes on commentary…just be bloody grateful we don’t have to suffer through Rod Kafer and Phil Kearns every week!,” suggested one rugby account on Twitter.
Whenever anybody ever complains about Brian Moore, or Stuart Barnes on commentary…just be bloody grateful we don’t have to suffer through Rod Kafer and Phil Kearns every week!
That was painful
— Lineout Nause (@LineoutNause) December 5, 2020
“Last time a Fox commentary team will call an Aussie test match. I enjoy most of them but I certainly won’t miss Phil Kearns,” said another.
Last time a Fox commentary team will call and Aussie test match. I enjoy most of them but I certainly won't miss Phil Kearns
— Morne (@Mud_n_Guts) December 5, 2020
“As someone who admired Phil Kearns as a kid I hope that now Fox no longer have the union rights in Oz he never commentates again. Sounds outdated, biased & not fully up with the laws of the game,” said another account, which summed the more reasonable takes on Kearns’ commentary.
As someone who admired Phil Kearns as a kid I hope that now Fox no longer have the union rights in Oz he never commentates again. Sounds outdated, biased & not fully up with the laws of the game. #AUSvARG
— Mark D (@Atticus_75) December 5, 2020
There were many, many more in a similar vein:
Another day another commentators beaming the sport that allows him to earn a crust….
Yes, its phil kearns
— thedeadballarea (@thedeadballarea) December 5, 2020
I’m sure Twitter will tell me otherwise but I can’t think of a worse commentator in rugby union than Phil Kearns. Unashamedly biased and hopelessly out of touch #AUSvARG
— Jamie Phillips (@JNPhillips4) December 5, 2020
I really enjoyable game so far.
It’s been horrendous if you take Phil Kearns’ word for it.
Really isn’t great to have someone moaning the entire time on commentary.
Maybe he should go to league now. #AUSvARG #TriNations
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) December 5, 2020
Ref stops the clock to talk to Front Rows. Phil Kearns "if you want to talk to them you have to stop the clock. He's eating up time with only 8 minutes to go." He hasn't even noticed the clock was stopped. He is clueless. #AUSvARG
— Doug the Prop??? (@DougProp) December 5, 2020
Have to laugh ? at Phil Kearns – he just can’t accept any decision that goes against his team. As one eyed as any I’ve ever heard
— G-Mac (@GreggMac11) December 5, 2020
Peter Drury is one of the world's best sports commentary because he genuinely loves his job, football and puts in the hard work necessary to paint a word picture.
Phil Kearns on the other hand makes commentary seem like an eternal punishment that he has been cursed with.
— Dylan Jack (@dylmjack) December 5, 2020
Kearns just showed why I’m happy he doesn’t have a job after this #AUSvARG
— Brumbies Boy (@brumby_fan) December 5, 2020
@StanAustralia please don't hire Phil Kearns when you start broadcasting the rugby. He is genuinely awful #AUSvARG
— Jem Nash (@JemNash95) December 5, 2020
Kearns isn’t done with rugby yet of course. He could still reappear on another network as pundit or commentator but leaving that aside, his involvement with Australian Rugby isn’t about to let up. Quite the opposite in fact.
He was recently appointed the executive director of their Rugby World Cup 2027 Bid. Kearns, who played 67 Tests for Australia, will lead the Rugby World Cup Bid team in “engaging with Federal, State and Local Government as well as international stakeholders including World Rugby Member Unions”.
A Wallabies captain, Phil Kearns AM won two Rugby World Cups for Australia (1991 and 1999) before starting a hugely successful corporate career. Kearns has served as Chief Executive of insurance broker InterRISK Australia and Centric Wealth. Prior to that, Kearns worked with Investec’s Corporate Advisory and Capital Markets divisions. Kearns is also a Director of AV Jennings, Coolabah Capital and Venues NSW.
Comments on RugbyPass
Farcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
61 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
61 Go to comments