We are now two weeks out from the British & Irish Lions squad announcement and most of the hard yards have been slogged.
There will be one more round of leagues games, across the Guinness PRO12, Aviva Premiership and French 14, but Warren Gatland won’t see too much to steer him from his course. All he will be hoping for will be for a lack of injuries but rugby is rugby [ie: painful].
Gatland will have already held discussions with his coaching staff in recent months and the debates will head up before the Kiwi is accompanied by his captain at the squad announcement in London.
He has acknowledged how tough it will be to pare down all the quality second and back row players into 15 or 16 in his squad. Maro Itoje and Iain Henderson’s versatility may well go in their favour here.
One area that many have spoken about but few will probably get right are the wingers. The only players that are being regularly spoken of are George North and Anthony Watson. Elliott Daly and Liam Williams are also cropping up in conversation, while Brian O’Driscoll mentioned Sale Sharks’ Denny Solomona as a possible bolter.
Doesn't even have a cap yet https://t.co/1NEdmkc7RI
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) March 30, 2017
Ronan O’Gara, meanwhile believes one Irish winger is a cert to make the squad. The fact that he played last Saturday as Munster’s fullback, and had a superb game, will surely stand to him. O’Gara told The Hard Yards:
“Will Simon Zebo go as the alternative 15? For me, he has ‘X’ factor and he is definitely on the plane.”
We agree with O’Gara. It is extremely hard to see a Lions squad announced on April 19 without Zebo in it.
While he had a merely decent Six Nations, most of the criticism of him stemmed from him not bursting through wit multiple line-breaks and tossing out offloads in contact. As we all know with this Ireland team, under Joe Schmidt, there is an innate conservatism in their play. Sean O’Brien admitted as much himself in Monday media interviews.
Zebo was doing a job for his team and his best game of the tournament – like so many others – was in the final day win over England. He was solid as a rock that day and often dropped into the fullback role when Jared Payne played a higher line in attacks.
It is his form with Munster that is a truer reflection on what Zebo can deliver. He has been sensational for a revived Munster side and has brought his very best to the games that truly mattered. At 27, Zebo is well ahead as the province’s record try-scorer.
On Saturday, at Thomond Park, he was the best back on show. He always made yards, with each and every of his 12 carries. 102 metres gained and a clatter of Toulouse defenders left in his wake.
Zebo was imperious under the high ball, winning four times under the most furious of pressure.
Gatland is on the record as being a fan of Zebo. How could you not be? Lions assistant coach Andy Farrell has worked with him for over a year now and has witnessed, first-hand some top performances in Chicago, Dublin and Rome.
He was one of the Irish heroes of Soldier Field.
He may be under the radar but he is more than capable of being a big player for the Lions when they face New Zealand at Eden Park on June 24.
