25 minutes.
25 minutes was all Simon Zebo lasted in what could be his final European game for Munster at Thomond Park for some time.
The Munster full-back could return with Racing in the near future, or for Munster at some stage further down the line, but for now, this was his European goodbye.
Zebo posted on his Twitter account on Wednesday that Saturday’s Champions Cup quarter-final with Toulon could be his last European game at Thomond Park for some time.
No better place to play knockout European rugby than Thomond Park..
Hands up if your excited 🤗
Last one for a while 🙃#SUAF 💪🏾🔴🔴 pic.twitter.com/1h1NWdCUZK— Simon Zebo (@SimonZebo) March 28, 2018
Chris Ashton hit the 28-year-old like a train in the opening minute of a thrilling quarter-final as Zebo immediately put his recently recovered hamstring to the test; sprinting across the field to get a hand to a Eric Escande box kick that ultimately broke up a certain try for Ashton.
However, while Zebo may have spoiled a try, he paid the price immediately with his body as he laid on the ground clutching at his mid-section.
Referee Nigel Owens went to the TMO to check if Zebo should have been sin binned for not playing the ball, but before he could even discover his fate, he had to first discover a way back to his feet.
Ashton hammered Zebo after 48 seconds but when the Corkonian was pulled ashore after minutes it seemed like he was taking the last eight years with him.
It was in that moment that Zebo realised that that was it. That was the end of a chapter. The magical European nights on Cratloe road would be no more.
Rugby has a cruel way of taking the moment away from some of its greatest players.
Paul O’Connell finished his Ireland career on a stretcher in Cardiff. The final moments of Jamie Heaslip’s 13-year professional career was brought to an end in a routine warm-up in the Six Nations.
Simon Zebo will play again but the reason you saw the raw emotion he showed departing the field is the reason Munster fans have grown to love him over the years.
Here was this kid that went to Munster’s 2006 Heineken Cup final win over Biarritz and decided from that moment that he wanted to play for Munster.
This teenager that made his provincial debut against Connacht four years later. This man that became the club’s all-time leading try scorer six years after that.
And eight years after Zebo first pulled on the Munster jersey, he would say goodbye to a standing ovation, albeit under less than ideal circumstances.
But it wasn’t necessarily how long Zebo lasted in his European farewell to Thomond Park, it was what he did during the 25 minutes on the pitch.
Although he never looked right after that hit from Ashton, he played through the pain and grimaced as he made his way down the sideline and barreled his way into the right side of Toulon’s defence.
When he was stifled, he managed to get an offload away to Alex Wooton. When the Toulon defence pressed up, he counteracted by placing a grubber in behind to the in-goal area.
He battled bravely throughout the first-half but you always sensed from the first five minutes that it was only a matter of time before his afternoon would come to a premature, and ultimately an unwanted end.
When the television match cameras cut to his face towards the end of the first-half the tears had been wiped away and the game was over for him.
He wore the face of a man that looked like he was processing eight years of memories in a matter of moments, and while his expression was blank and somber, his reception from the Munster fans was moving.
So sad to see. Simon Zebo in tears as he goes off injured after 25 minutes.
Great ovation from the Munster faithful pic.twitter.com/V4OMTfiUU4— Pat McCarry (@patmccarry) March 31, 2018
Simon Zebo probably played 20 minutes longer than he should have but he’s given Munster Rugby more tries than any other player before him.
For that, for his toughness and for his resilience, few will have an issue with Johann van Graan giving the benefit of the doubt to a player that Munster have greatly benefited from.
Zebo will play again. He will hopefully play at Thomond Park again before the end of this season.
But while Munster’s journey has ended, Zebo’s will continue on. Soon to be gone but not to be forgotten.
