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User:rorynoonanDate:04/01/2013Time:11:45:03Edition:04/01/2013Frifriecho040113Page:56Color:

EE - V1

Zebo’s bosses happyas winger signs withReds for three years

TOMORROWRaboDirect Pro12:Munster v Cardiff

RTE 2, 7.30pm

MUNSTER coach Rob Penney andMunster CEO Garrett Fitzgeraldwere happy men yesterday afterthree Leesiders committed theirfutures to Munster, writes SEANMcCARTHY.James Coughlan and DaveO’Callaghan have signed contractextensions for Penney’s side but itwas the third, Simon Zebo, that hadthe New Zealander in happy mood.“Look, without blowing too muchsmoke, he is a genuine rugby talent,and I think we’ve all seen that he isan excitement machine,” Penneysaid of Zebo who is being rested fortomorrow’s RaboDirect Pro12 homegame with Cardiff Blues, 7.30pm.Teams such as Toulouse had shownan interest in the Cork player butthey will have to now lookelsewhere.“He is a young man who’s mademassive shifts in a short period oftime and he’s going to continueto grow and be an excitingfootballer for Ireland andMunster. It is great to see aguy with his talent able toexpress himself and play sowell. It is a great thing,”said the Reds coach.Penney said Zebo hadthe X-Factor needed.“I think he would dowell in New Zealand, hewould be someone youcould put into anenvironment over thereand he would succeed.”Penney isn’t the only one

who has been impressed with Zeboover the last 12 months.Munster CEO Garrett Fitzgerald hasalso seen changes in the winger.“Simon has done exceptionally welland probably excelled beyond wherewe would have thought,” said theCEO.Lady luck has had a bit part to playin the winger’s rise to prominence aswell says Fitzgerald.“He’s got a few breaks and he’s takenthem. He seems to have a very goodtemperament regardless of thelocation of the game.“I think Simon was quite happy tocommit to a three-year deal. Theyweren’t very difficult negotiationseven though he had interest fromoutside of Ireland and outside of theUK.“But Simon is a very level-headed

lad and is a very good teamplayer and onlyinterested in doingwhat’s good for theteam.”● The Park andRide at the Black

Ash will be open fortomorrow night’s game.

● See P46-48 for more.Simon Zebo is one of threeCork players to sign contractextensions with Munsteryesterday.

SPORTEvening Echo

IN CORK SPORTSWORLD TODAY

User:billlinnaneDate:04/01/2013Time:10:39:21Edition:04/01/2013SFfridaysport040113Page:1Color:

Friday, January 4, 2013

CORK SPORTS WORLD 1

SF - V1

Soccer: Éamonn Murphy talks to

Avondale’s Eoghan Lougheed: P8-9.INSIDETODAY

GAA: John Horgan on a great

year for Brian Dillon’s: P2-3.

Mark Woods looks at how 2012

was for Cork football and finds

a glass half full: P6-7

Cork’s Patrick Kelly celebrates at the

final whistle and victory over Kerry in

the Munster semi-final in Páirc Uí

Chaoimh last summer. Picture: INPHO

Sam istruemeasureof success

Sam istruemeasureof success

GAABy MARK WOODS

DAMIEN Cahalaneis handed a chanceof filling one of thevacancies in theCork full-back linethis season after be-ing selected for theopening game intheMcGrath Cup atCIT on Sunday.The Castlehaven de-

fender is picked at leftcorner-back for his seni-or football debut after astring of impressive dis-plays with his club.Cork will be without

Ray Carey (travel) andEoin Cotter (work inDublin) in 2013 and Jam-ie O’Sullivan is tied upwith UCC leaving thedoor open for Cahalaneto stake a claim.The league holders be-

gin their four-in-a-rowcampaign against Dub-lin at Croke Park in fiveweeks and a strongshowing by the coacheducation student in Col-

áiste Stiofáin Naofa willstrengthen his case.Cahalane was a part of

the Cork hurling panellast year, but whether heattempts to combineboth like Eoin Cadoganremains to be seen, espe-cially as he is in his finalyear at U21 level. The20-year-old previouslystated he didn’t think iswas currently viable forhim to play senior withboth.Cork are aiming for a

hat-trick of Munster U21football titles and Ca-halane will be a key fig-ure in the first roundgame against Kerry in

March.Sunday’s game marks

the first match in chargeof new selectors BrianCuthbert (Bishopstown),Ronan McCarthy(Douglas) and ‘Haulie’O’Neill (Clonakilty) whojoin manager ConorCounihan, starting hissixth term, and PeaderHealy.They’ve picked a

strong team in the firstdefence of the McGrathCup, featuring regularsMichael Shields, PearseO’Neill, Paul Kerrigan,Colm O’Neill and AlanO’Connor, who is beingtried at full-forward,while Paudie Kissane,Noel O’Leary and Don-ncha O’Connor are onthe bench.A whole host of play-

ers are unavailable for avariety of reasons.Tipperary, who lost to

Cork in last season’s fi-nal, await the winners inthe quarter-finals onSunday week.

CORK: D Lordan (Ballincollig); JMcLoughlin (Kanturk), MShields (St Finbarr’s), D Ca-halane (Castlehaven); D O’Sulli-van (Ballinascarthy), CO’Driscoll (Ilen Rovers), S Kiely(Macroom); P O’Neill (Aghada),A O’Sullivan (Castletownbere);J Fitzpatrick (Carbery Rangers),P Kerrigan (Nemo Rangers), OMulrooney (Douglas); C O’Neill(Ballyclough), A O’Connor (StColum’s), L Shorten(Ballingeary).

Subs: K O’Halloran (Bishop-stown), P Kissane (ClydaRovers), S Beston (Mitchel-stown), N O’Leary (Cill naMartra), C O’Donovan (ValleyRovers), D O’Connor (Ballydes-mond).

● See P49 for more.

Castlehaven’s young star to makehis Cork senior football debut

Cahalane iscalled up

Castlehaven’s Damien Cahalane,seen here in Cork County SFCaction against the Barrs lastseason, has been called up to theCork senior squad for Sunday’sMcGrath Cup season openeragainst CIT at CIT.

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