Simon Zebo is not hiding his delight at winning a starting spot on the Ireland wing as the Six Nations kicks off.
Head coach Joe Schmidt gave him possession of the No 11 jersey for the opening game against Italy and after today's team announcement, the Munster winger told Off The Ball's Dave McIntyre that he is happy with his latest opportunity.
"You just take it each game at a time, try to play well for your club and let the international scene take care of itself," he said.
"I'm grateful that I've been given another opportunity to play and obviously the Six Nations is a massive tournament and we've really high expectations. To be given the jersey this early on, I'm happy with it."
He also said that his Munster team-mate Ian Keatley is "over the moon" at the opportunity to start at 10 in Rome, and feels that Conor Murray's presence beside him at scrum-half will help the out-half to adjust.
"They're well used to playing together and they know each other inside-out. It will be easier for Ian to adjust but he's a top quality player and Conor is one of the best in the world so there'll be no fears of not performing this weekend."
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
