What people are saying about Austin Healey's latest TV commentary effort

Former England international and BT Sport commentator Austin Healey has been criticized for his supposedly biased commentary during Saracens’ loss to La Rochelle in the 2023 Heineken Champions Cup. The outspoken pundit has been accused of showing a Gallagher Premiership bias and getting up on the wrong side of the bed.

Healey, who was known in his playing days as the ‘Leicester Lip’, has never been one to shy away from controversy. However, his latest commentary has come under heavy fire on Twitter, with many accusing him of favouring the English side over their French counterparts.

During the match, Healey seemed to imply that Irish referee Andrew Brace was favouring Ronan O’Gara’s side and that the television match directors were not giving the TMO’s the correct viewpoints when it favoured the French side. He also criticized Brace’s decisions, suggesting that he was giving the rub of the green to La Rochelle.

The former scrumhalf’s comments were met with a fierce backlash on social media, with many viewers calling for him to be removed from future broadcasts. Fans accused Healey of being biased towards Saracens and not showing enough respect to La Rochelle.

One popular Irish Tweeter wrote: “Austin Healey saying “there’s nobody coming across to make a tackle” at the same time as three (3) players who were coming across to make a tackle come into frame is Peak Austin Healey Commentary.”

Austin Healey saying “there’s nobody coming across to make a tackle” at the same time as three (3) players who were coming across to make a tackle come into frame is Peak Austin Healey Commentary

— Patricia (@_PatriciaV_) April 9, 2023

Ian Frizzell wrote: “So is Austin Healey going to question every decision that goes against Saracens?”

So is Austin Healey going to question every decision that goes against Saracens? @btsportrugby

— Ian Frizzell (@rava_ian) April 9, 2023

Hugh Gordon wrote: “Can we mute Austin Healey? The man does nothing but complain” while another wrote “Austin Healey is having a meltdown live on tv. It’s great.”

Such was the chat around Healey’s commentary that he entered the chat on Twitter and started getting into it with a few Tweeters that had directed negative remarks at him.

Very well

— Austin Healey (@IamAustinHealey) April 9, 2023

Left hand of Hastoy pulls him back I’m right and you are wrong I’m afraid

— Austin Healey (@IamAustinHealey) April 9, 2023

He also took time to agree with former teammate Andy Goode, who wrote that the broadcast directors had a huge role to play in how TMO made big calls in games. Goode wrote that: “So World Rugby might want to get neutral tv directors in the France games or for all games or employ their own for the Rugby World Cup in France if this weekend’s lack of replays is anything to go by,” to which Healey replied: “Totally agree mate was just saying same a director could decide who wins World Cup.”

Whether you love him or hate him, there’s no denying that the former British & Irish Lion is one of the most technically proficient commentators in the industry. It seems that for many of his critics, it’s his lack of diplomacy as a pundit that outways the positives.