Zebo continues to mix flair and graft

Simon Zebo says he is thrilled to be back in an Irish shirt and wants to play his part in helping to bring more success in the Joe Schmidt era.

Zebo has been out of the international loop for a year since winning his sixth cap last summer and then being called into the Lions squad, but now that he is back, he is determined to make the most of his chance, after missing out on the Six Nations triumph.

But he said he does not intend to change his exuberant style and would pack in rugby if he was forced to change his way of playing. Zebo said there had not been any effort to curb his style. His former Munster coach Rob Penney moved to defend him, claiming Zebo suffered from “tall poppy syndrome” and that people had gone to curtail the likes of him, but it is not something Zebo ever felt a victim off.