The Munster winger says he understands why he missed out on the Six Nations’ thrilling finalé.
In a way, it must have been hard to watch.
Simon Zebo was at Murrayfield on Saturday, March 21, to cheer on Ireland as they beat Scotland 40-10 to set themselves up for a second Six Nations title in 12 months. The winger had started all of Ireland’s previous nine Tests yet watched from the stands as Luke Fitzgerald earned praise for his dashing appearance up the left flank. His position.
He tells us, ‘The way the Wales game [a 60-22 win over Italy] panned out, it gave us an opportunity to be in with a shout if we could play with the style we knew we were capable of. There was a lot of ball sprayed about.
‘I would have been keen to be part of it. Tommy Bowe and Luke had a great game and saw a lot of ball. I’m delighted we won the way we did.’
Ireland coach Joe Schmidt had broken the news to Zebo, earlier that week, that he would not be involved against the Scots. ‘It was relatively quick,’ he reveals. ‘A two minute chat. It was all it needed to be.
‘Joe didn’t want to dig the knife into me and draw it out.
‘That is the way it is at this level. We didn’t play well enough against Wales and a freshen up was needed.’
Despite missing out on the left wing spot in Edinburgh, Zebo must be confident that he has played his way, if not onto the plane, into the World Cup departures lounge.
‘Getting to play in the World Cup is the aim. It has been a long season – the first season in three years that I haven’t broken a bone in either foot or been out for three to four months. I am playing well for Munster, scoring tries, contributing and doing all I can do. I’m in need of a serious freshen up over the summer and will come back to warm-up for the new season and, hopefully, the World Cup.’
After four tries in his last three matches, the 25-year-old is on 36 Munster tries in 82 appearances. If Munster can reach the Guinness PRO12 final, it will give him every chance of equalling Anthony Horgan’s provincial record of 41.
Zebo says, ‘It is an honour to be so close; very humbling. I did not know I was that close until recently. In my head, I will break it before the season is over.
‘I am ambitious. I don’t just want to break the record, I want to double it. I want to destroy it.’
Zebo jokes, ‘I’ll be greedy now and won’t pass to anyone.”
The arrival of All Blacks centre Francis Salli and the return to fitness of Tyler Bleyendaal have Zebo excited about an assault on league and Champions Cup titles next season.
‘Tyley is finding his feet now and with every session he is talking more and more… It will be great getting Francis over too. He looks like a serious prospect on the pitch and good craic off it. I have seen his Jerry Maguire impression on YouTube. He will fit right in, I’d say.’
For now, Zebo is concentrating on a winning finish to the season with Munster. He may not have been on the pitch at Murrayfield but he has every intention of proving to fans just how lethal he can be when the PRO12 final is played out at Kingspan Stadium, in Belfast, on May 30.
*Zebo is taking part in the 2015 Wings for Life World Run, on May 3, in Dun Laoghaire. The race will be run on six continents and will feature over a million runners from 34 countries, all of whom will start the race at the same time. The race will raise funds for the not-for-profit Wings for Life foundation, which funds spinal cord research projects the world over.
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