You want the buzz of victory or entertainment?

Simon Zebo has not lost that sense of dicing with the devil, and he never should, writes Ronan O’Gara.

ALMOST every time I bump into Mike Hanrahan, who is married to Jess’ sister, we end up arguing the same point: Is sport today about winning or entertaining?

In a happy world, we get both, and the player and the spectator can be as one. Except those stars align rarely. As a player, as a professional competitor, I need to win. Everything flows from that — from achieving personal goals to dressing room harmony to greater success to lucrative contracts. Mike wants entertainment. Mike is putting his hand into his pocket and paying for the ticket that pays me (the player or coach), and he expects to be entertained. He wants bang for his buck. He wants a show — with showmen.