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'We hated ye': Simon Zebo lifts the lid on spicy Munster rivalry with Ryan Wilson's Glasgow
Simon Zebo has lifted the lid on the tense rivalry that brewed up some years ago between Munster and Glasgow, explaining why Warriors back row Ryan Wilson became so disliked in the Irish team’s dressing room.
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The rivalry initially sprung from heated PRO12 meetings, Glasgow winning semi-final and final matches in 2014 and 2015 respectively. This tension carried on and eventually carried over into feisty pool stage collisions in the 2016/17 Champions Cup, matches that were won by Munster.
Keith Earls was sent off when the teams met in Limerick in October 2016, the week after Anthony Foley had tragically passed away.
Tempers then reached a boiling point in the January 2017 return match at Scotstoun when Glasgow players – including Wilson – were accused of targeting the exposed standing leg of Conor Murray when the scrum-half box kicked from the back of the ruck.
With both Zebo and Wilson now appearing as co-hosts on the RugbyPass Offload show, the Celtic rivalry was revisited with special emphasis on how Zebo received massive Munster dressing room stick after he pressed the follow button on the Glasgow back row’s Instagram page.
Cracking episode of RugbyPass Offload with Ryan, Jamie and Zeebs joining Christina on this week's episode.
iTunes – https://t.co/Q6a38CJbIB
Spotify – https://t.co/4vFwOUT5geTunnelgate, Autumn Nations Cup preview, Munster v Ryan, beating England and lots lots more 👊 #RPOffload pic.twitter.com/Rwo99GOEDW
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 11, 2020
“I just want to get this off my chest,” said Zebo with a smile. “A couple of years back we used to have a lot of games against Glasgow, whether it was Champions Cup or playing each other in the league, and all the games were quite spicy.
“There was always a bit of argy-bargy, and you [Wilson] would be leading that for a lot of the Glasgow boys. There were a few players on the Munster team who wouldn’t have been fans of you.
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“It was just a bit of craic. They weren’t too serious I don’t think. But there was one day you followed me on Instagram and I clicked the follow button back because we had played against each other so much.
“I had a screenshot sent into a WhatsApp group of a few players that I can’t name. Three or four of them were like literally, ‘What the f*** is this? You’re following this clown’. I got a bit of heat for that and I had to immediately unfollow you, but I followed you again recently.
“I got so much heat for that. It was a bit of craic. I won’t name the players but it was in the middle of all the games we were playing against each other. There was a bit of angst.”
With Wilson warming to the topic of how he was disliked in the Munster dressing room, a revealing Q&A followed between the Scot and Zebo which identified the Irish players who were most wound up by the rivalry. Here’s how it unfolded:
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RW: Was there a gentleman called Peter (O’Mahony) involved in that?
SZ: Potentially. And there was a few others who I won’t mention.
RW: That cements it, that means I have done my job. I know have done my job when that sort of stuff comes back… I’m sure there’s another one, (Andrew) Conway maybe?
SZ: Yeah, Conway was in there. You know it, the fellas you were stirring up you know too well.
RW: It was Peter O’Mahony and definitely Conway. That was the two definites, and I’m guessing Conor Murray is in there as well?
SZ: Yeah. Yeah.
RW: There was that whole thing about us targeting Conor Murray when he was kicking the ball from the base of rucks, which we were.
SZ: Yeah, going after his standing leg, ye dirty shower. Ye know all about it. Ah, we hated ye. There was real rivalry there for a few years.
RW: I love it, I absolutely love it, and we have got a game against Munster in two weeks, that’s our next game now. With this young squad, I’m going to have to get them up to speed on what it means.
Zeebs will be watching on from Paris when the Kiwi makes his Ireland debut on Friday night https://t.co/uywc7ZPTjc
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 11, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Adding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
2 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
2 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to commentsOne tough SOB!
16 Go to comments