Why Simon Zebo Has Most to Prove for Ireland After 2 Games of Six Nations
As one of the two teams yet to be beaten in this year's Six Nations, Ireland haven't seen many of their stars fail to meet requirements, but Simon Zebo still has some convincing to do in his role.
The Munster whiz started in each of the wins over Italy and France, but as Ireland look to reach top speed in their defence of the Six Nations title, coach Joe Schmidt may well ask more of the 24-year-old.
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By and large, the Irish backs haven't got out of second gear as of yet. A mistake-laden outing in Rome meant that only when the Azzurri were reduced to 14 men did Ireland pick up in attack, while Les Bleus proved a terrific obstacle to overcome in Week 2.
However, with Conor Murray functioning as the northern hemisphere's in-form scrum-half and Johnny Sexton getting back into the lineup, we should see those shackles come loose as the tournament progresses.
Zebo stands to profit as much as anyone else among the Irish ranks as a result. Although revered for the blinding pace he possesses, one dampening side of the speedster's game is that he tends to require space and time to operate at his best.
The same might be said of any wide man, but Tommy Bowe has shown on the other flank that even without a back line operating at full speed, wings can engineer their own luck. The Ulster man has been typically tremendous in the air and works well in tight spaces.
Admittedly, Zebo has shown his own sparks of ingenuity, but averaging just 15 carrying metres per match at this year's Six Nations, per ESPN Scrum, isn't the kind of devastation Ireland will have hoped to see.
The European rugby community knows just how majestically Zebo is capable of doing his job, however, as Ultimate Rugby recently reminded with footage of his 2013 exploits against Wales:
In 160 minutes of play, Zebo has beaten just a single defender from an attempted 17 carries, the least of any Irish back to have started in both matches so far. Granted, one could merely attribute this to him not being utilised enough, but considering Bowe has contributed more from just 10 carries, the responsibility falls nearer to Zebo himself.
Waiting in the wings for their chance sit the likes of Keith Earls, Dave Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald, each of whom bring something to Schmidt's side in a first-team regard.
With such healthy competition queuing behind him, Zebo has all the motivation needed to recall his free-flowing best, glimpses of which we saw in try-scoring displays against Georgia and Australia in the autumn.
It was against the Wallabies that Zebo committed a most grievous error when Bernard Foley picked off his attempted pass to Sexton, from which Nick Phipps scored. However, the Cork native insists he'd try as much again were the opportunity presented to him, per Ruaidhri O'Connor of the Irish Independent:
"I was thinking 'thank God there's not another game cos I'll be dropped!' No, no. I don't think of those things at all. You don't have time to think like that on the pitch. You have to go on your instincts. That's what I did. I like offloading the ball and creating opportunities for other players as well. I think I'm quite good at it except it just didn't work out on that one occasion and that's sport.
It was on because there was a dog-leg in the defence. I spotted Foley come up out of the line and then there was space for Johnny, but he is a very clever player. A lot of other players would have just stayed and looked at Johnny but, in fairness to him, he turned straight away and looked to slap it back. Not many players would have that quick thinking. It was good defence, I suppose, but I continue to try these things if I see the opportunities.
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It's that kind of stubborn perseverance that could be a poisoned chalice for the wing maestro. Try the outrageous and one looks heroic should it pay off but another costly misjudgement could see his place lost.
That comes part and parcel with a character like Zebo, though, a most enigmatic asset who brings all the flair and unpredictability one wants to see on the entertainment sector of the wings.
Andy McGeady of the Irish Times quoted French newspaper L'Equipe as succinctly summarising what it is Schmidt gets with Zebo in his XV:
In truth, the theme of this article may relate more to why Ireland have the most to prove in unlocking Zebo's potential, a player who, at his best, is capable of confounding even the finest defences in the world.
As it is, though, it's up to the player to take those chances thrown his way over the next month or so, irrespective of how seldom they might appear, with Ireland standing to benefit magnificently should he be able to do so.
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