There is no greater advocate for the English game than the bristling energy around Twickenham on grand final matchday, and this from a Welshman.

Supporters in headdresses or Wasps’ colours have assembled in their droves, and joined by Leicester and Sarries and (ever-hopeful) Bath fans, they make the merry pilgrimage to this cathedral of English rugby. From the moment you’re crammed onto the service from Reading to the electric excitement of the fanzone in the hours before kick-off, you can understand the fervour that surrounds this game with as much passion and sincerity that a religion demands of its followers. The tomahawk chop chant is always within earshot.

But there isn’t a hostile word said; only jokes, jibes and warm cans of Guinness shared between fans. And there are moments that all enjoy, even Welsh neutrals. A group of West Country lads poke fun at one of their number made to wear an ‘I love Jack Nowell’ t-shirt, tallying with a swift sharpie strike to the shirt every mention of Exeter’s danger man. The ensuing discussion into whether the said Nowell enthusiast’s wife would be open to donning a Jack Nowell face mask during intimate times, is enough to make you forget it’s 25 degrees on a 1 hour South West service where even sardines would have complained about cramped conditions.

I join the general throng of rugby-goers as we pass countless bratwurst, burger and braai stalls slotted into residents’ front gardens for the day and soon the great structure is in sight. After a thorough inspection by security I am through and met by our BT Sport host. Press badges in hand, our first stop is the changing rooms. Our guide sets out what we can and cannot photograph, including the banners in the corridor to the Home changing room that are for the venerable eyes of English internationals only (and now me, a Welsh journalist: cue evil laugh).

The Exeter back line

And their opposite numbers.

There are a few oddities to look at in both changing rooms, beyond the eclectic mix of genres on the team MP3. The Wasps’ player namecards use Mr. – as in Mr. Launchbury – whereas Exeter are on first name terms. Or the crate of beer tucked discreetly in a fridge in one of the changing rooms, or the players who requested flip flops be laid out (I suppose Wade’s feet do get warm with all that stepping), or the odd ratios of energy drink to water for some players. And we may just have chanced upon some tactics, scrawled on a whiteboard.

From the changing rooms we make the short trip up the tunnel to the pitch to meet Producer Titus Hill, who runs through the complex proceedings behind televising the day’s events.

Twickenham Drone. Nifty.

The depth of BT Sport’s organisational skills are outstanding. I’d give them a LinkedIn endorsement on that one. At any one time, there are 130+ personnel from runners and assistants, to producers and directors keeping to programme. As if we hadn’t seen enough evidence of their TV wizardry, Titus took us to the BT Sport technical lorry – like something used by the CIA – filled with banks of screens and rows of people earnestly monitoring the different camera shots. Another annex of the lorry housed the nerve centre of the operation, with the editor, director and producer overseeing the entire project. Lawrence Dallaglio appeared from around the corner and we watched on as Craig Doyle minced his lines, corresponded with the team to better them, and then nailed the introduction. It went to illustrate quite how remarkable the presenters are and their ability to simultaneously deliver their lines smoothly, listen for feedback and react professionally to unforeseen events.

And they’ve become family over on BT Sport. Regular faces explaining and talking about the ins and outs of rugby every week. After the aggressive to and fro with Sky, BT Sport have really cemented themselves as providers of English rugby, including deals with Channel 5 and ITV to bring it to terrestrial. It spells the start of more accessible rugby and a different approach to watching that maintains the levels of childlike excitement and diehard debate.

Gone are the days when pundits would simply talk at each other, either agreeing or disagreeing. Now we see Dallaglio fending off a pack of amateur players as a way of explaining the intricacies of the maul to Austin Healey.

Rugby has become easier on the eyes and BT Sport have brought the game into modern times with an innovative and informative approach. Their technical teams are certainly able to produce some great graphics and statistics and overall prove the watchability of the game, for avid encyclopediacs and newcomers alike. They’ve kept a degree of lightheartedness about rugby – the right balance of fun to passion – that reminds you of your dad and his mates necking pints as they debate the finer merits of your fly-half. They’ve understood the very core ideal of the rugby enthusiast: whether watching the premiership final or the local village rugby, more than anything you want to be debating, drinking and generally having a good time with your mates. And that’s exactly how Twickenham feels on matchday. Keep it light hearted, keep it jovial and you’ll generate a greater viewership.

By Dave Beach

BT Sport is the only place to watch rugby from the Aviva Premiership, European Rugby Champions and Challenge Cup.