Zebo's 'fire is burning' for European glory with Munster 

EURO GOALS: Munster's Simon Zebo during the game. Pic: ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

It was always a long shot. Not long turned 31 when he returned to Munster from Racing 92, Simon Zebo still had it in his mind to play again for Ireland. It wasn’t to be. Not when regular game time with the province has been such a struggle.

Zebo has managed just 19 appearances for his home team since that voluntary repatriation from France as injuries and Covid played a huge part in pulping ambitions of a first Test run since the summer of 2017.

Andy Farrell had shown his interest by naming him in the Ireland squad for the autumn internationals just months after his return but that’s as far as it got. His World Cup will be spent working with RTÉ and prepping for the new URC campaign.

It’s not the perfect scenario, he admitted, but he feels more frustration than regret. Not just because of the stop-start nature of his second stint in red but the flavour of football that this current Ireland team is playing.

“I would like to have had Faz earlier in my career as a coach,” he admitted. “It could have been different.” 

Contracted through to the summer of next year, Zebo is fit and healthy and two weeks into his pre-season. He is adamant that the fires still burn bright in the twilight of his pro career but there are no illusions.

Munster won the URC without his input at the back end of last season but he sees himself as a player who trades on skill and intelligence rather than speed and strength and one ambition holds a particular allure.

“I want to play as many Champions Cup games as possible. I get a huge buzz off European rugby, obviously international too, but European rugby, scoring tries is special to me. I'd love to lift the Champions Cup. The fire is burning definitely.

“I want to catch Chris Ashton's scoring record. I'm not just comfortable with being hurt and not playing and being unavailable. I do really, really want to play. I get withdrawal when I'm not hearing my name chanted in Thomond Park so I want to get back as soon as possible.” 

As with all workplaces, it helps when you’re singing the same tune as your superiors and it will be fascinating to see how aligned or otherwise Leinster’s former senior coach Stuart Lancaster will be at Zebo’s old haunt in Paris.

Racing 92 is a club built on razzamatazz and the unpredictable jazz rhythms of ‘joeuz, jouez’. Lancaster encourages heads-up rugby but only within a solid shape and structured environment so interesting times lie ahead.

“He will either go really well or be out after a year,” Zebo laughed.

Graham Rowntree has shown how to freshen up a team and a club in double-quick time. Zebo, who also joined the chorus of applause for Ronan O’Gara’s successes at La Rochelle, labelled the new staff a breath of fresh air.

“The turnaround in the season last year comes from genuine belief, it doesn’t come from coaches bullshitting you. It’s a really strong bond that we have in the squad, built really, really fast.

“There’s a lot of youth in our group as well so we’re only going to get more experienced, we’re only going to get a better skill level under pressure. I don’t think there’s a ceiling with us. I think in Europe competing in semis and finals is definitely on the horizon.”