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About Spiro Zavos
About Spiro Zavos
Spiro Zavos is recognised as one of the world’s most influential rugby writers. His column on Tuesday in The Sydney Morning Herald during the rugby season has run for more than twenty years. His trenchant analysis, especially on rugby matters, has made his columns must-read institutions all over the world. Zavos has written ten books, several of them award-winners, on politics, fiction and rugby, including How To Watch A Game of Rugby, which has been reprinted twice since its publication in 2005.
Tri Nations will pose many questions
TOWARDS the end of Saturday night's Test against France, Australia had five players on the field in their first year with the Wallabies: Ben Alexander, Dean Mumm, Luke Burgess, Ryan Cross and Peter Hynes.
Timana gives us a taste of some French cooking
The French generally have a "vive la difference" attitude to playing and thinking about rugby.
How clever coaching saved Wallabies
"IN A journey of a thousand miles, it is necessary to make the
first step."
Please do not adjust your set, the old laws really are dull
THERE were Tests in Japan, Fiji, New Zealand, South Africa, Wales, Canada, Lithuania and Argentina over the weekend, plus Pacific Nations Cup matches, Churchill Cup matches, a FIRA European Championship contest (Lithuania 40 - Norway 9) and the IRB Junior World Championship.
Tahs tactics were spot on
THE Super 14 final was a great game. It was tough, compelling and non-stop. One of the many unpredictable breakouts, after a phase of play that lasted several gut-wrenching minutes, led to Lachie Turner scoring a kick-and-chase try after the Waratahs had almost given a try away at their end of the field.
McKenzie can go out on a high note
ONE of the consequences of rugby becoming a professional sport is that the status and success of the coach has become seemingly even more important than the performances produced by the players.
NSW can shed bridesmaid tag
IN THE Z household on Saturday night, Big Love, an intriguing drama about polygamy in Utah, trumped Rugby Love and the absorbing drama of six contending teams trying to make the final four of the Super 14.
Northern sceptics will be blown away
A COMMENTATOR in New Zealand revealed the interesting statistic
that the 2008 Super 14 tournament, up to the 13th round, had
produced 100 fewer penalties and 50 more tries than last year's
tournament.
Scrum is king under the new laws
THERE were 25 scrums during the Crusaders- Sharks match. The
Highlanders kicked four penalties to defeat the Cheetahs, even
though they played with 13 men in the later stages of the match.
Lote's long-range missiles now trained on the high veldt
LOTE TUQIRI took the ball and placed it just inside the 50-metre
mark for a kick at goal on Saturday night against the Sharks at the
Sydney Football Stadium. I leant across to a friend and murmured:
"It won't even reach."
Fresh blast from the SFS relieves the hot air from Canberra
BEFORE the enthralling series of Super 14 matches started on
Saturday night, I tuned into the 2020 Summit and watched the
delegates putting forward their generally cliched ideas.
The easy way to win games
I HAVE the answer to the Auckland Blues' problems - sack the coach.
Why McKenzie had to depart and Hickey has to arrive
AN IRON law of Super 14 rugby is that coaches lose their jobs, new
players burst on to the scene and the competition goes on.
Hybrid would be an unholy union
"I'VE always said the smartest thing rugby should do is merge with
rugby league."
Wales show NSW the way
The master wordsmith Tom Keneally describes the posturing of
coaches and players in the media before a big match with typical
good humour and accuracy as "foreplay".
This is the true history of league
What we think happened in the past is the DNA of the present and
the future.
At least one side realises it has legs as well as boots
The attacking ability of the Australian Super 14 teams is a concern, writes Spiro Zavros.
Negative thinking is stopping Tahs
In Super 14 tipping competitions, the rule generally is to take the
home side to win.
Bold Beale can arrest Waratahs slump
It's Sydney or the bush for Ewen McKenzie at the end of the 2008
Super season.
New laws are good for Super 14
The variations of the IRB's Experimental Law Variations selected for use in the 2008 Super 14 tournament represent an evolution rather than a revolution in the quest to work out the true laws of rugby union.
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