Simon Zebo: 'I don't know what more Calvin Nash can do to get in the Ireland side'
NO CEILING: Simon Zebo believes Calvin Nash "could be one of the very best in Europe". Pic: Dan Sheridan, Inpho
No-one has banged the drum louder for Munster players when it comes to Ireland selection calls than Simon Zebo.
Retired since last summer, and now a pundit on TV, Zebo is still attached to the ties that bind. He has expressed his shock at Tom Ahern’s omission from the Six Nations squad, championed Jack Crowley over Sam Prendergast, and talked up Calvin Nash for the wing.
The reality is that interim head coach Simon Easterby is likely to name 17 or 18 Leinster players in his matchday squad of 23 for Saturday’s Six Nations opener. Munster and Connacht will likely have three each and Ulster none at all.
It’s not Leinster’s fault but the IRFU’s head of performance David Humphreys, speaking earlier this week in Portugal, agreed that the job of bringing the other three provinces up to the same level is an absolute priority going forward.
Ultimately, it's impossible to argue against the blue wave sweeping through the home dressing-room at the Aviva Stadium. It’s not as if Ireland as a team has suffered for their ubiquity. Even Zebo accepts as much.
“They have a huge player pool, quality players, the best players playing in Ireland. When was the last time they won something?” Zebo said, tongue firmly in cheek.
“Me being biased, I'd like to see more Munster lads. Look, they have a great squad. I won’t slag Leinster too much, I get enough grief over it.
“I don’t think it’s a major problem. It’s up to the other provinces to perform and for players to fight for the jersey. You have your opposite man that you need to inch ahead of. Form will dictate it and that’s always the same. They are representing because they are playing the best rugby.”
That’s not to say that he won’t fight more localised battles.
The expectation is that Easterby, due to reveal his hand for the Championship opener against England on Thursday lunchtime, will follow the lead shown by Andy Farrell in November when Ireland went with a tried and tested squad for the opening game against New Zealand.
That didn’t work out very well with the All Blacks winning comfortably against an Irish side that failed to fire on the day, but there remains a good chunk of the current squad still sitting on an enormous amount of credit.
Zebo would love to see a Jamie Osborne or a Cormac Izuchukwu mixed in with the old hands for this one, but that just isn’t happening with the expected selections of Mack Hansen and James Lowe on the wings typical of the settled course being plotted.
Neither man has shot the lights out this season due in part to injury and, in Hansen’s case, recent suspension but it was instructive when the Connacht winger was straight back into the team in November having missed out on the summer tour to South Africa.
The man he replaced was Nash, who had started both Tests against the world champions on the right wing and all five games for his country in the preceding Six Nations. Nash actually didn’t see any game time in the last window.
There are no devastating arguments to be made either way here. Lowe was being described as the best winger in the world after one performance in last year’s Championship. Hansen adds a playmaker’s eye to his other attributes on the far touchline.
Nash simply has to be ready when another chance arises.
“His performance against Northampton was spectacular,” said Zebo, speaking on behalf of Boylesports. “He has no ceiling. He could be one of the very best in Europe and I don’t know what more he can do to get into the side if you compare form with James and Mack.
“He’s the stand out guy but both James and Mack are proven winners, the coaches know what they get every time they select them. But it’s up to Cal to train well. I’d like to see him be given a vote of confidence like other players have.”
One old friend and colleague that will be critical to Ireland’s hopes of a third successive Championship title is Conor Murray. Now 35, and 120 caps into his Ireland Test career, the veteran continues to give the bird to Father Time.
Murray’s performance for Munster away to Northampton Saints in the last round of Champions Cup pool games demonstrated as much. With Craig Casey out injured, Murray will be next man up after Jamison Gibson-Park at scrum-half.
“Form is temporary, class is permanent, the old fella is still able to be the general on the pitch and dictate where the game is played. His skillset is never going to go away. His speed - there wasn’t much there to begin with so he hasn’t lost too many yards of speed.
“And he’s as physical as ever. He could play as long as he wanted really because he’s always in peak physical condition and he’s always an incredibly smart player. He’ll have a big part to play.”
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