Joey Carbery’s World Cup has sailed barring unwelcome misfortune for someone else, but Simon Zebo is adamant that rumours of the gifted outhalf’s international demise are premature.
World Cups haven’t exactly been kind to Carbery. Ireland’s seasonal opener is against Italy at the Aviva Stadium next Saturday week. In the corresponding first warm-up match four years ago, Carbery was the most creative player on the pitch by a country mile in an otherwise forgettable 24-10 win.
Cruelly, he suffered an ankle injury in the 49th minute, missing the remaining warm-up games and restricting him to three appearances in Japan off the bench against the hosts, Samoa and New Zealand. The injury would require surgery and set back his Test career for almost two years.
Last season may have hurt more, falling out of favour first with Andy Farrell when left out of the Six Nations, and then with Graham Rowntree when omitted Munster’s successful URC run-in.
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But Zebo maintains: “He’s been ripping it. Now when I say ripping it up, he’s been on fire. He got a bit of a rocket last year and his mindset is changed.
“Even the way he’s talking in training sessions. If somebody doesn’t run the line right, in the past Joey would let it slide. Now you see him getting frustrated. I’m not trying to say he turns into Johnny [Sexton] but [with] that desire, now he’s not accepting another fellah not knowing his role and him looking bad. He’s not taking any kind of ‘BS’.
“His variation in his game, his confidence in his game – like, if he’s not confident Joey can’t pass the ball accurately or kick accurately. But when he’s feeling confident and the players around him feel good he’s one of the best. He can be world class on his day.”
While Carbery “might have been caught off guard” last season after being the established Munster ‘10′ and Irish back-up to Sexton for years, Zebo added: “From what I’ve seen in the last couple of weeks Joey will have a big season.”
Zebo envisages a battle royal for the famed Munster ‘10′ jersey between Carbery and Jack Crowley, who he believes will benefit enormously from this pre-season camp and is one of those he wants to see in the upcoming matches.
“The warm-up games are a tricky one. They’re unbelievably important to get you on the plane or to get you in selection thoughts for the big game against South Africa.
Zebo is “really excited” to see young Munster team-mates like Crowley, Calvin Nash, Craig Casey and Gavin Coombes given game time. “After that it’s up to them but having won the URC there are some lads who need to be given the opportunity, for sure.”
Zebo will be continuing his role as a pundit with RTÉ in the warm-up games and the World Cup, having enjoyed the latter experience during the Six Nations.
Being so close to the action has also slightly softened the blow of missing a World Cup in France, which had been a primary ambition when returning from Racing ‘92 to Munster two years ago.
Having been included in the November 2021 squad, Zebo was then one of those laid low with Covid during Munster’s ill-starred trek to South Africa, and an unlucky red card against Ulster limited him to just one more game before the Six Nations, when scoring two tries in a win over Wasps.
“Then before the summer tour I had two broken ribs against Toulouse from that tackle by [Rory] Arnold where he should have been red-carded – joking – but it just hasn’t fallen my way. I have just been a bit unlucky health-wise and a few other things. It is what it is. It’s not the perfect scenario that I would want.”
Regrets? No. Frustration? Yes.
“I would like to have had Faz earlier in my career as a coach. It could have been different.”
Last season injuries limited Zebo to just six appearances. At 33, the fire still burns for Munster’s record try-scorer (71 in 163 games), all the more so after the last two weeks of pre-season without any injuries or niggles.
“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, [and] 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,” he added in reference to the latter’s haul of 41. Zebo is third on the Champions Cup all-time list on 34, two behind Vincent Clerc.
“I’m not just comfortable with being hurt 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 out as soon as possible, and play good rugby.
“I wasn’t a player who relied on physical attributes all the time, like speed or strength. Mine is intelligence and skill, and hopefully I haven’t lost that. I still have a lot to offer and I’d be confident of the impact I can make coming back healthy and fit this season, especially in Europe.”
Last season’s triumphant transformation under a new coaching stokes those fires.
“It’s like a breath of fresh air. Coaches change, they come and go, but you know when you’ve got a really, really good one. I think how fast they got everybody aligned and on the same page is a credit to them.
“The turnaround comes from genuine belief; it doesn’t come from coaches bullsh***ing you. It’s a really, strong bond that we have in the squad, [and] 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.”
– Simon Zebo was in the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday to launch Vodafone’s new 5G stadium app which will be available for the Italian and England games.
