When Hugh Bladen takes his seat in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, it will be to handle, for the 118th time, the television commentary for a rugby Test match in which the Springboks are playing.
It will also be his seventh Springbok Test in Cardiff. The first was in 1994, when South Africa played against Wales at the old Arms Park.
In the commentary box with Bladen, who has also commentated on about 15 non-SA test matches, will be Kobus Wiese. The former Springbok lock forward will provide the Afrikaans commentary on M-Net and Supersport 1. Viewers who can’t follow Afrikaans, will be able to tune into the BBC commentary.
Former internationals Joel Stransky, John Robbie and Chester Williams will be on duty in the studio when the build-up starts at 4.15pm. Kick-off is at 4.45pm.
Coverage of the Murrayfield match between Scotland and Australia will be shown live on CSN and SuperSport 1 from 7.15pm.
Sports fans are facing a demanding weekend, with play in the fourth cricket Test between India and Australia starting in Mumbai at 6am every day until Sunday.
And if Ernie Els, Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods turn up the heat in the Tour Championship in Atlanta the live coverage of Sunday’s last round (7.30pm on CSN and SuperSport 1) will be irresistible. To complicate matters, the world title fight between junior welterweights Kostya Tszyu and Sharmba Mitchell could produce an early-morning boxing classic in Phoenix, Arizona. Coverage starts at 3am on SuperSport 1.
How to fit in the semifinals and the final of the Paris Masters tennis championships could be another problem. The play-offs are shown live on Saturday and Sunday. Play starts at 3.30pm on SuperSport 2 on both days.
Nine soccer matches, including the Manchester derby on Sunday and Crystal Palace against Arsenal on Saturday, will be shown live on the SuperSport channels during the weekend. The New York marathon (on Sunday at 4.15pm on SuperSport 1) and the SA title fight on Saturday night (Khulile Makeba against Cedric Conway for the vacant bantamweight belt) are other attractions. – Sapa