'You'd never know' - Simon Zebo hasn't given up on Irish call

Simon Zebo hasn't given up hope of making a return to the Ireland team in the 2024 Six Nations.

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell is due to name his squad next Wednesday for the defence of the Grand Slam title, which begins away to France on Friday 2 February in Marseille.

Zebo hasn't played for Ireland since the summer of 2017, with his 2018 move to Racing 92 seeing him excluded by the IRFU's selection policy.

The Corkman returned to Munster in 2021, and while he did feature in an Irish squad later that year, he hasn't been able to add to his 35 caps.

Injury has limited the wing/full-back to just three appearances this season for Munster, but the 33-year-old has impressed in attack in all three of those games.

With Farrell losing both Mack Hansen and Jimmy O'Brien to injury for the Six Nations, Zebo doesn't believe he's run out of time to catch the Ireland coach's eye.

"You'd never know," he smiled, when asked if he could make a late bid for a Six Nations place.

"I'm fully focused on just [trying to] keep playing well for Munster, you don't want to count your chickens.

"I just want to keep playing well, keep getting my hands on the ball and showing what I can do and trying to help Munster as best I can and I know if I'm fit and healthy I can mix it with anyone, so I've just got to keep putting my best foot forward. That's the goal.

"I'm very confident in my ability, I always have been. I know that if I'm playing to the best of my ability that I can play at any level.

"I've just got to focus on keep on playing well for Munster and that's my goal. We have a lot of quality players here and the competition is high, I've got to do my best to keep playing quality rugby and whatever happens, happens.

"But no matter what the level, the