The Irish rugby team limbered up for the weekend’s encounter with the US Eagles in a former Superbowl venue yesterday but Simon Zebo had only one sport on his mind. And it wasn’t rugby either.
Actually, that’s a bit harsh, Zebo was no doubt fully focussed on Ireland’s meeting with the US Eagles this weekend, but during a little break in a run-out at the impressive American Football Stadium at Rice University in Houston he returned to his roots and got the hurley and the sliotar out for a bit of a puck-around.
Zebo was a talented hurler and Gaelic Footballer in his youth and the picture might only serve as a sad reminder to hurling nuts in the People’s Republic of what he might have done for the Rebels had rugby not got in the way, but at least it shows that it’s still close to his heart and besides, who knows what might happen when he finishes up with the old egg-chasing?
Given the length of an American Football pitch, Zebo could probably knock it over the bar on the far side if he got a good shot away, but he’ll be more worried about touching a ball down under the posts rather than knocking a ball over them having been named on the wing in the Ireland team to face the US Eagles on Saturday evening (kick-off 1.45am Sunday Irish time).
Ireland team: Henshaw, McFadden, Cave, Olding, Zebo, Madigan, Boss. Kilcoyne, Strauss, Ross, McCarthy, Toner, Henderson, Henry, O’Mahony
Replacements: Sherry, Hagan, Court, Tuohy, O’Donnell, Marshall, Jackson, Jones
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