'No done deal': Ronan O'Gara sheds some light on Simon Zebo's move to France
Ronan O'Gara has spoken about Simon Zebo's move away from Munster, saying a deal with Racing is not done.
O'Gara, who is a coach with the Parisian club, said there are four Top 14 clubs seriously interested and Racing are in the frame.
Writing in his Irish Examiner column, O'Gara said: "Racing want Zebo, but until someone tells me otherwise, it’s no done deal."
"Having a couple of his old Munster compadres here in France did not influence his decision to leave Munster — though it might influence the destination," O'Gara wrote.
The former Munster out-half also spoke about the possibility of Zebo not playing for Ireland again.
Joe Schmidt announced his autumn international squad on Thursday, where Zebo's name was not included.
O'Gara said he was surprised by the omission.
"I don’t see any legitimate reason why Zebo won’t be involved with Ireland and I was taken aback by the exclusion from the squad yesterday," writes O'Gara.
"It doesn’t sit well that Bundee Aki, for all his virtues, is living in Galway for three years and he has the keys of the city while Zebo has been living in Cork for 27 years, played with Munster, represented Ireland 35 times and is now outside the circle because he has decided to continue his rugby career in France?
"He’s 27, his best years are ahead of him, he is only going to get more clinical in his decision-making, and if he stays injury free he is going to improve on an upward curve until Father Time starts tap-tackling him at 32 or 33."
Munster's all-time leading points scorer did concede that in the end, it was Joe Schmidt's decision and that the IRFU have "every right" to keep the talent pool in Ireland.
But O'Gara concludes by saying "one fundamental question remains."
"With Rob Kearney struggling for fitness at this stage, who is the best No 15 in Ireland by a country mile? Zebo is."
