I RECKON IT’S SI IN THE SKY
Kearney: Talk of Zebo coming back into the fold sounds fanciful to me
BY
ROB KEARNEY knows how to grasp a nettle – and straight up says he doesn’t believe Simon Zebo will make the Ireland 2024 Six Nations squad when it is revealed this lunchtime.
One good away win against Toulon can’t hide Munster’s previous form although he thinks their 23 year-old Tom Ahern will be the nearest thing the squad will have to a ‘bolter’.
“I think there would be a fair bit of surprise now if Simon Zebo was announced in the squad. I know in the print and the radio he’s always a topic that everyone loves to talk about and give some ink,” said Kearney.
“There’s no doubting he’s played well for Munster over the last couple of months, if not even probably the last four weeks.
“He has struggled a little with injury but you’re very much clearly trying to build a squad now for four years’ time and that’s what Andy’s going to want to do.
“For coaches who’ve achieved a considerable amount in their tenure like he has, he’s not under the same kind of pressure to pull really big results out of the bag.
“I do think he has a lot of credit in the bank and people will now want to see him developing other players and he’ll want to as well and it’s for that reason I’d be very surprised if we saw Simon back in a green jersey again in the Six Nations.”
There could be good news for Zebo’s teammate Ahern though – and perhaps Sam Prendergast of Leinster.
“I don’t expect any curveballs but the first Six Nations after a World Cup is always a good time for a coach to lay down the gauntlet a little bit in terms of introducing new blood.
“There’s a very clear period of time to start bringing a little bit of youth in and showing that the next four-year cycle will have to have a few changes to the last one – anyone who gets in will have to have performed well over the last few weeks, and not even with Europe but in the URC as well.
“You look at the likes of Tom Ahern who has performed really well the last few months, I expect him to be in there. Whether you would consider the likes of Sam Prendergast a curveball I’m not sure.
“He falls within the window of someone who is very likely to be a part of the World Cup squad in four years’ time so it makes sense to bring someone like him in now to be exposed to international rugby and to be exposed to the camp and all the things that go with that.”