A young Munster fan has typified the reaction of those all over the province as the move to bring Simon Zebo home was confirmed.
Marisa Reidy posted a video of her daughter Hanna's reaction to the news and, if the video is anything to go by, it turns out we might take Stephen Doyle's dulcet tones for granted in OTB Sports towers...
If ever you wondered what your return to @Munsterrugby means @SimonZebo...your BIGGEST fan Hanna sums it up 💖 We love you and cannot wait to see you soon xx pic.twitter.com/Y26iMNEmbr
— Marisa Reidy (@marisapreidy) April 14, 2021
Zebo returns
Former Munster and Leinster players Keith Wood and Andy Dunne discussed on Wednesday Night Rugby what Zebo will bring to the Munster setup.
"It's great news, a one-year deal, which is an appropriate amount," Wood said.
"[Zebo] either comes back plays and becomes a senior figure; it'll be interesting to see what he brings back.
"When you get players who have been away and come back, they bring back an awful lot of the things they have learned from it. Also, it isn't too long - a three or four-year contract - so he's coming back and a lot of the young guys can learn from him.
"I think he still has a high level of ambition. I think he's put on weight while he's been out there, he's an awful lot of a bigger man, so [Zebo] may have to shed a few of those pounds.
"He'll be fighting for his position and I think he'll want to play for Ireland - he's back in the country and if he fits into the plans, I think it is good all round for everybody."
Culture shift
Andy Dunne believes that the move is reminiscent of a period from early in his professional career, at Leinster.
"When Leinster hit a period from around 1999 to the mid-2000s, they weren't quite stagnant but they weren't quite winning things. The likes of Leo Cullen and Shane Jennings went off to Leicester, had a different experience and brought back their experience.
"Someone like Zebo going away from the Munster setup and coming back in, sharing his experience of different environments and cultures, that could be beneficial to that group.
"Munster aren't far away from winning things, they're dead close but not quite making that conversion. It did strike me as a similar type of arrangement to when Shane Jennings and Leo Cullen came back in, and made quite a profound impact on the Leinster culture.
"Maybe Zebo can help in that way in his experiences of being abroad."
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