FORMER SOUTH AFRICA winger Bryan Habana says he expects Simon Zebo to play an important leadership role for Ireland as he prepares to end his long exodus from international rugby.
Zebo – who returned to Munster over the summer following a three-year spell with Racing – is back in the Ireland squad for the first time since 2017, and is expected to feature across the November fixtures against Japan, New Zealand and Argentina.
And former Springbok winger Habana, a World Cup winner in 2007, says he is a big fan of the Munster back.
“I absolutely love Zeebs. I don’t want to say he’s the perfect modern rugby player, but I just think the manner in which he approaches the game, and life, is really enjoyable,” Habana says.
“He’s extremely outgoing in his attitude, extremely positive. He sometimes comes across as lackadaisical but he’s such a free spirit, I really love it.
“Seeing his return to Thomond Park and scoring a try (against the Sharks), it was literally a fairytale and I think he had been unlucky not to be included in that Irish set-up over the last couple of seasons.
“I thought he was playing some brilliant rugby for Racing, teaming up with the likes of Teddy Thomas, Virimi Vakatawa and Kurtley Beale, and showing some incredible rugby ability.
“He has now been rewarded. Being back in that set-up, his leadership will probably be heavily leaned on in terms of being a fairly young-ish outside backs component. But hopefully he just plays his part in breathing fresh life, positivity and energy into the game.”
And while Zebo’s attitude and presence off the pitch is a useful boost for the squad, Habana also pin-pointed what he expects the 31-year-old to bring on matchday.
“I just think I think the manner in which he finds himself in the right place on the field, doing some phenomenal things. He’s got a really silky skill-set from a handling perspective, he gets some incredible offloads, we’ve seen him dabbling with the ball on his foot – I don’t know how pragmatic that is.
“But I just think his vision and how he manages to put himself in the right places so often, and not even always being the one scoring the try, but being the one creating, whether that be getting the second receiving pass or just being that link and creating an offload option for those outside him.
“Particularly with Racing and now since he’s back with Munster, he’s been able to put those around him in much better positions. So I think it’s really exciting to have him in your team to be an attacking threat.
“And also I think from a defensive perspective he’s really sound, which as a fullback, and potentially a winger, you really want to lean on. He’s got a great all-round game and provides a bit of excitement and energy, which we all love to see in rugby.”
Habana also had plenty of praise for Munster centre Damian de Allende, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
“He definitely won’t be short of options,” Habana said of his fellow South African.
“I got to be involved in the start of Damian’s professional career at the Stormers, and he was sort of one of those laid back youngsters that you actually thought didn’t have the temperament or mentality to make it to the next step.
“I think what we have seen over the course of the last three years in particular is that experience come to the fore.
He is one of the most sound passers of the ball, a lot of people actually don’t give him the credit (he should get for that). Physically, in contact, he was probably one of the bigger metre gained components of not only the Lions Series, but this Rugby Championship Series as well.
“He is a guy who is cool, calm and collected. He does a lot of the unseen hard work, counter-rucking and really being a nuisance at the breakdown.
“I think, rightfully so, he is being seen as one of the best centres in world rugby at the moment. His partnership with Lukhanyo Am is something that many a team would really die for.
“So, (he is) a guy who really wears his heart on his sleeve, is a little bit under-spoken in terms of not making a noise for himself, but he is really a key figure in what the Springboks do really well. He is one of the main ball carriers come collision time, one of the best defensive components of how Jacques Nienaber runs his defensive system.
“He is a guy who won’t be short of options come the the end of his contract with Munster. Hopefully, if Munster do have a good season, he will play a really integral role in that.”
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