Spiro ZavosProbably the most biased rugby writer in world rugby, Spiro Zavos (writes for the Sydney Morning Herald), has described Springbok Rugby as “Thugby”.

Come on Spiros, I have a special toffee that I would like to show you in person… this is a family website, after all.

Anybody who takes Spiros’ ramblings with more than a pinch of salt, lowers him or herself to the lowest COMMON (pun intended) denominator. The man is a legend… in his own mind only!

Come on Spiros, surely you are better than that…

Sport24

An Australian rugby writer has criticised Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis after he received two yellow cards in their Test against the All Blacks in Auckland earlier this month.

French referee Romain Poite showed Du Plessis a yellow card in the 16th minute of the Test for a perfectly legal tackle on All Black flyhalf Dan Carter.

He then showed him a second yellow – and a subsequent red card – for leading with an elbow which connected with All Black flank Liam Messam’s throat.

The All Blacks went on to win the game 29-15 – a result which led to heavy criticism against the Frenchman, so much so that the International Rugby Board (IRB) even issued a statement admitting Poite had made a mistake.

However, Spiro Zavos – a rugby writer for the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper – says Du Plessis’ tackle on Dan Carter was made from an offside position and it was right for Poite to punish the Bok hooker.

“A tackle from an offside position is automatically illegal. When a player commits an illegality, which Du Plessis did, and a player is injured or liable to be injured because of the dangerous nature of the tackle, it is virtually automatic a yellow card is handed out,” Zavos wrote in his column.

Zavos also quoted Maurice Heemro, a Cape Town player in the 1960s who was made an honorary Springbok in 2001, as saying: “Bismarck is a bully and, regardless of whether he used his arms or not, he went into that tackle from an offside position, with the intention of injuring him. It speaks of a cynical and a dirty style of play the Springboks have espoused for a long time.”

Zavos also – as mentioned by All Black coach Steve Hansen – wrote that Du Plessis’ second yellow card could easily have been a straight red.

The Boks tackle the Wallabies at Newlands this weekend, with another French referee, Jérôme Garcès, named to handle the match, and Zavos believes the referee faces a tough task in front of a partisan home crowd.

“He faces the dreadful prospect of trying to ensure that the Bismarckian method of ‘blood and iron’ is kept within the laws of the game.

“He will be under enormous pressure not to do this from partisan local supporters. Garcès knows, too, that he might not get much support from the IRB and SANZAR if he insists, as he has in the past, that foul play is appropriately punished.

“The Springboks have the highest number of yellow cards and second-highest number of red cards in the 10 years of the card system. It’s time for them to give away the thugby that diminishes their legacy.”

19 Responses to Spiro Zavos – the chump – considers Bok Rugby ‘Thugby’

  • 1

    “….Maurice Heemro, a Cape Town player in the 1960s, who was made an honorary Springbok in 2001…”
    I remember the occasion in 2001, when those honorary Springboks were capped in East London-I mentioned it here on RT only last week referring to Cheeky Watson- but Heemro?

    An unknown player from the 60s commenting on Bismarck’s ‘off-sides’, I wonder how long this Zavos oke roamed around the Cape flats before he found this ‘expert’? He could have saved himself

  • 2

    “….Maurice Heemro, a Cape Town player in the 1960s, who was made an honorary Springbok in 2001…”
    I remember the occasion in 2001, when those honorary Springboks were capped in East London-I mentioned it here on RT only last week referring to Cheeky Watson- but Heemro?

    An unknown player from the 60s commenting on Bismarck’s ‘off-sides’, I wonder how long this Zavos oke roamed around the Cape flats before he found this one ‘expert source’? He could have saved himself the trouble and just interviewed some of those CapeSaders ‘groupies’ in the stands at Newlands.

  • 3

    @ Pietman:
    🙄 Sien ek nou dubbel of wat? In verskillende kleure daarby…

  • 4

    @ Pietman:
    These guys can go low for sensation.
    My youngest brother always asked how low can you Go, then he answered himself as low as a chiwawa

  • 5

    @ superBul:
    Is jou bladsy ook so kleurvol, blou/bruin/grys?

  • 6

    Ja nee hier is nou n nuwe ervaring aan die kom, duidelik het GBS inspirasie gekry Saterdag middag met al daai jeagie boms

  • 7

    @ Pietman:
    Dink hy loer daar van agter die gordyn en speel met die ligte, soos met n skool konsert

  • 8

    @ Pietman:
    Die kol links gaan seker n avatar wees, oftewel n foto van ons gevrete

  • 9

    Ek sien hierdie ‘ekspert’ was nogal n senter in die 60-er jare.
    Hy sou maar gekuk het om Springbok te kry bokant daai tyd se senters soos Ian Kirkpatrick, John Gainsford, Mannetjies Roux, Eben Olivier, Dave Stewart en sulke legendes.

    Lansdowne vier vandag veertigste jaar

    Deur MORNÉ PETERS CITY PARK behoort vandag aan Lansdowne wat sy 49ste bestaansjaar vier met ‘n reeks wedstryde teen Progress van Franschhoek. Perseverance sal sy deel bydra tot die feesvieringe wanneer hy om 1.30 nm. kragte meet teen Pumas van Transvaal. Daar sal ook ‘n volle reeks ligawedstryde gespeel word, met die hoofkragmeting tussen die onoorwonne Primrose en die ligakampioen Retreat. Lansdowne was veral in die sestigerjare een van die suksesvolste spanne van die Rugby-unie City and Suburban. Vier van hul Saru-spelers, Keith Lentoor (losskakel), Joey George (skrumskakel), Gerard Peters (senter) en Maurice Heemro (senter), sal vandag in ‘n oukrok-wedstryd teen Progress speel. In die ligawedstryd tussen Retreat en Primrose word ‘n bulstryd voorlangs verwag, want albei spanne beskik oor gedugte agttalle. Retreat se onoorwonne status is hom verlede week ontneem toe Skiereiland hom onverwags geklop het. THISTLES Primrose, op sy beurt, was Donderdag baie gelukkig om Westridge met 13-12 te klop. Thistles se onoorwonne status word ook vanmiddag bedreig wanneer hulle teen die Rooi Duiwels, Progress, speel. Ander wedstryde: Retreat: Temperance teen Skiereiland; Manenberg: Philmanians teen Rangers; Rocklands: Rocklands teen Westridge; Strandfontein: Strandfontein teen Universals.

  • 10

    @ superBul:

    Ons moet seker maar dankbaar wees hy het nie die site pienk geverf nie, soos daai eertydse Bultruie.
    Maar ek sien ook nie nommers vir die posts nie?

  • 11

    Sorry tjomme, ek eksperimenter so bietjie… kleure en goed sal nog regkom…

  • 12

    @ Pietman:
    Ek dink hy werk dat dit bars, ek sien dinge loop tans bietjie stadig

  • 13

    @ grootblousmile:
    Nei, daais ok my bra, eksperiment djy ma’ so beechji’, kry net die pouste se nommus oek reg…tewyl ons nou daai Mouries ekspit vannie fletse oek hie oppie saait het…

  • 14

    @ grootblousmile:
    Werk hy nie te lekker nie, ek is heel vrras gewees toe ek netnou inloer

  • 15

    @ superBul:
    Ja, dit was nogal lekker anders, moet se.

  • 16

    @ grootblousmile:
    Ek het jou al so gepeper met vrae oor gadgets, nog ene e readers ken jy hulle en wat prys hulle. Ek het leesgoed nodig vir my 6 weke rug le jong. My MRI scan en verslag vandag self bekyk , fark ek is behoorlik klaar man. Gn wonder ek suffer so nie.
    Lyk amper of my rug gebreek is. Die verslag se ook ek het iewers hom gefracture, nogals op 3 plekke

  • 17

    Nou waar is julle almal heen? Los my weer alleen op die stoep!! Ek sal julle Saterdag sien! X

  • 18

    @ Woestynroos:
    Ken jou nie maar ek sien jy is vriende van Piet en GBS so jy moet OK wees, LOL. Dag was stil hier. Wonder ook waar is die manne van die spanne wat so lekker gewen het.

  • 19

    @superBul:
    Sorry oor jou rug man. My ouma het ook deur so soortegelyke ding gegaan. Hulle moes twee van haar rug werwels her bou.
    Maar op jou ander vraag oor die e-reader. Ek het een wat ek wil verkoop. My vrou het die ding gekoop. Ek het hom twee keer gebruik toe ek besig was met ‘n kurses anders as dit lê hy hier in sy sakkie. Laat weet as jy sou belangstel. Dis ‘n Gobii e-reader. Sover ek weet kan jy movies en musiek ook op hom laai.

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