IF ALL GOES to plan Simon Zebo has a maximum of three more games left in a Munster jersey. Yet if the province were to fall to a surprise URC quarter-final defeat at home to Ospreys on Friday, then his playing career would be over by the weekend.
Either way, the 34-year-old is keen to make the most of it and enjoy his final days as a Munster player, having recently confirmed that he will retire at the end of the season.
And in typical Zebo fashion he doesn’t appear to be the slightest bit stressed about it, talking through his thought process around the decision with a broad smile on his face.
“It was easy enough,” says Zebo.
“I think heading into the start of the season I would have had a feel for the body, some of the advice I’ve got throughout the years is that when you know you know and I had a gut feeling that I wanted to finish on a high and it’s just funny that in any interview I’ve done in the past I’ve said 34 would be a good age to call it, just because Dougie Howlett retired at that age! And I’ve always looked up to him and saw him call it while he still had it and he still had a big impact on games.
“But yeah, it’s great to be able to play back-to-back consecutively and still have my body and health to be able to show what I can still do on the pitch, and it’s been great. I’m looking forward to another big one this weekend and hopefully we can go another couple of games after that, but it’s all knockout rugby.”
The Ospreys are the next hurdle, with a dream finish potentially on the cards for Zebo. Beat the Welsh side on Friday night and Munster will back at Thomond Park for the semi-finals and a potential final as they look to defend their URC crown.
Zebo played just five URC games last season but still picked up a winner’s medal. This time around he’s been more centrally involved, playing some superb rugby while clocking up eight URC appearances alongside three Champions Cup outings. They head into the knockouts on a high, having won their last nine straight URC games.
“To finish with a trophy would be incredibly special. I know how much Keith Earls valued that win last year and how much sweeter the end of his career was in winning the URC, if I could emulate that it would be incredibly special.”
It would also be special for the Thomond Park faithful who revere the mercurial Corkman. The usual ‘Zebo, Zebo’ chants did the rounds against Ulster on Saturday and he was in high demand with the young fans looking for autographs after the game.
They’re soaking up the last opportunities to watch one of their all-time greats in action, and he’s conscious of doing the same.
“To be honest I do that [soak it all up] every time I’m on the pitch, but it does make it more special knowing that from now on each one could be your last,” Zebo says.
I have an incredibly special relationship with everybody who comes to support Munster Rugby, it’s something I’ll be forever grateful for but I certainly feed off them and I do my best to let them feed off me with what I can do on the pitch.”
For now, he’s happy to get the individual attention out of the way and focus on the task at hand, but he admits to being taken aback by some of the messages and tributes that have come his way since announcing his retirement.
Zebo won’t be the last X-factor back to play for Munster, but the province will be losing a special talent when he hangs up his boots.
“I don’t go out of my way to be different for the sake of it. I just do my best to be myself and that’s playing with a smile on my face, having fun out there as if I’m a kid, you know?
“I try not to take myself too seriously and if that’s to be perceived as a maverick, I understand that, but I don’t go out of my way trying to be a maverick.
“I try my best to help the team as best as possible in all cases and anybody who’s played with me or shared a dressing room with me, I think, would be able to say that.
“Some of the messages and stuff have been overwhelming at times because you never really know how many people would be rooting for you or supporting you or how many people you might have reached or touched or put a smile on their face or drawn them into the game, and that’s incredibly special and I’m very, very grateful for that. Humbled is the word.
“But yeah, I suppose you can call me a maverick if you want to, no harm.”
