A decidedly fresh-faced Ireland squad is due to touch down in JFK tomorrow afternoon, the first stop in a journey so far west that it ends up in the Far East. Simon Zebo can be forgiven if he checks his phone for Lions casualties.
He was in the States with Ireland four years ago when the call came through from Warren Gatland: Get yourself to Sydney. The Lions need you. Zebo didn’t need much prompting.
“I’d just hopped off the team bus after the match in Houston when Les [Kiss] and Joe [Schmidt] pulled me aside and told me I’d be flying out to meet the lads the next day,” Zebo recalls. “That was an exciting conversation, the most exciting conversation I’ve ever had with a coach, I think! It was a great moment.”
It must all have seemed ridiculously easy for a kid who was then 23, jetting from Houston to LA and on to Sydney, with only his phone and wallet for company — all the packing, of Irish and Lions gear, had been taken care of. He arrived in time to play against the Waratahs game, and even put himself in contention for the first Test against the Wallabies.
In the end, Zebo played no part in the Tests but he clearly enjoyed the Lions experience and must have fancied his chances to be selected this time around – he offered form, versatility, and something a little bit different.
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So what was he thinking as he arrived in Carton House last week, with a giant Lions’ logo still adorning the lawn at the front of the hotel and with so many young, unfamiliar faces blushing in the team room? Is there an urge to keep checking his phone? No, he says. Work has been pleasantly distracting.
“Ah, it’s hard not to see what they’re doing, with Instagram and Twitter,” Zebo says of the Lions. “I’m just excited for my buddies who are out there. It’s great for them. Luckily I’ve had a taste of it before and know how exciting it is.
“In fairness, though, we have a really exciting challenge here. You can’t take for granted any opportunity to train and wear an Irish jersey. Obviously, the initial disappointment has been parked and I’m very excited about being in this group. There are a lot of young guys here who are really showing how good they are, so it’s exciting.
“It’s weird being a senior player in my mid-20s. But it’s good, seeing young guys like Jacob Stockdale and Rory O’Loughlin, fellas I haven’t worked with before. Seeing what they’re capable of in training and things like that, trying to get to know them better. Hopefully it will develop off the pitch and on the pitch.”
The pre-tour camp was also a welcome diversion from Munster’s massively anti-climactic end to the season. Zebo surely found it galling to be whipped by a Scarlets side playing his type of rugby, all counterattacking cojones, but he’s not inclined to dwell too long on disappointment.
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Munster made significant advancements this season. They now know where they stand, and where they need to get to. A quick dispersal meant that there was no time for the dreaded video review. Distractions help. On Tuesday evening, the Ireland squad were guests at the Japanese Embassy in Dublin, where they received tips on culture and customs. Joe Schmidt can be distracting too, especially when he’s emphasising the dangers of playing USA and Japan without 11 of his best players.
“We’re under no illusions about how tough it’s going to be,” Zebo said. “There’s going to be a lot of young guys playing against seasoned vets, players who are capable of beating some of the best in the world. So there’s a big onus on the young guys to learn as fast as possible and pick up as much information and knowledge off the older guys as they can and hopefully get ready to receive a few Test jerseys. They’ll be thrown into the deep end. But judging on how the guys have performed this year and shown this year they’ll be more than capable to go out and compete and hopefully pick up a couple of wins.
“Joe has referenced the fact that the World Cup is only two and half years away and it’s a massive opportunity for all players on this tour to stake a claim and get a taste of what it’s going to be like at the World Cup. There’s going to be 31 who go so what better opportunity to start off with than two Tests against a team that’s in our group, and a quality outfit in the US?”
With 33 caps, Zebo is the fourth-most experienced tourist, behind Devin Toner, Keith Earls and Cian Healy, and therefore in the official leadership group. This seems an unlikely role for one of Irish rugby’s mavericks — yet not for the player himself.
“You can look at it in terms of the number of caps but in terms of ability and performance on the pitch, I’d see myself as a leader on any team I play in,” he says. “It’s just the way you look at it. But if there are any guys who want help or anything, or any knowledge on how I see the game or if they want to pick up anything off me — and me off them — then I’d be more than happy to contribute. I’m not one of the guys to give a big pre-game speech but that’s one side of leading. Then the other side would be on the pitch. And that’s me. If they want a leader on the pitch I’ll do that.”
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Certainly, he is well-equipped to educate any youngsters on what’s expected in Schmidt’s set-up, having played in eight of Ireland’s nine Tests this season, starting seven of them. Add 17 games for Munster and that makes 25 — a busy old season, one mercifully uninterrupted by injury. He’s getting better at minding himself, he says. Being a father of two young children means you value your sleep.
So he’s up for a few weeks on tour?
“I am, yeah,” he says. “It’s always the case that you’re on these tours at the end of the season but being back in camp like you do get the extra buzz. It’s a bit of a change from Munster because it is a long run-in with the club so when you get the chance to meet up with the other Irish boys then it’s always an uplift.”
Indeed. Besides, it’s only a 10-hour hop from Tokyo to Auckland. You never know who might be on the blower.
Ireland’s summer tour
Saturday: USA v Ireland
Red Bull Arena, New Jersey, 10pm
June 17: Japan v Ireland
Ecopa stadium, Shizuoka, 6am
June 24: Japan v Ireland
Ajinomoto stadium, Tokyo, 6.40am