Fun boy Zebo ready to get serious

For any man who can cover 9.4 metres of ground per second under their own steam, carrying a rugby ball, suggestions of being too laid back appear somewhat incongruous.

Yet Simon Zebo has been battling the accusation for much of his young career.

At least, it is the negative connotations to which he objects and claims has sometimes worked against him. There is no denying the Cork man is laid back but he does not equate having fun with being unprepared to work hard at his game, just the sort of trait that was yesterday rewarded with selection for his RBS 6 Nations debut against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.