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In what will be a timely fillip for the province and its supporters, Munster and Racing 92 will today confirm that the province have re-signed their former winger cum fullback Simon Zebo.
Munster have been straining every sinew to sign their most prolific try scorer of all time and to that end have agreed a deal to bring 31-year-old product of PBC Cork and the Munster academy back to the province.
Zebo is in his third season of a three-year deal with Racing 92 and while there was interest from other French clubs and London Irish, whose head coach Declan Kidney gave the player his Irish debut against the All Blacks in Auckland in 2012, Zebo has decided to return to Munster
Munster are, or course, more hard pressed financially than ever in light of the pandemic, as evidenced by the decision not to offer JJ Hanrahan and Darren Sweetnam new contracts. But in light of CJ Stander turning down a new central contract, the IRFU helped to smooth Zebo’s return.
While there have been attractions to staying in France or moving to London, Munster clearly had the greatest emotional pull for Zebo. Furthermore, returning to Munster would potentially offer Zebo the opportunity to force his way back into the Irish team, a prospect which might be all the more tempting given the 2023 World Cup is in France.
Zebo’s parents, Lynda and Arthur, met in Paris where she was holidaying with a friend and he had moved from his native Martinique, so moving to the French capital and playing for Racing always made sense. Returning there with Ireland at the next World Cup would have to be a very tempting objective.
Casting a glance toward this point in his career last April, Zebo told The Irish Times: “I’d imagine it would be Racing or Munster. They’re the two teams in my head. Neither of them might want me, I could want to new seek pastures elsewhere, you never know, because rugby doesn’t last forever so every experience is really important. We’ll have to see, but at the moment it would be Paris or Cork.
“It was definitely a dream come true to represent my country 35 times and every single time meant something special,” he also said, and admitted: “I’d love to play for Ireland again.”
In 35 tests for Ireland he scored nine tries while in 144 games for Munster he eclipsed Anthony Horgan as the province’s all-time record try scorer with 60. Nor has his eye for the try line diminished in his time with Racing, where he has scored 22 in 53 matches, including two in last October’s Champions Cup final when Racing were beaten 31-27 by Exeter.
In 61 Champions Cup games for Munster and Racing, Zebo has scored 32 tries, making him the fourth most prolific try scorer in the competition’s history.