Munster Rugby coach Johann van Graan hails hat-trick hero Simon Zebo as 'special player'

MUNSTER Rugby head coach Johann van Graan hailed Simon Zebo as a 'special player' after the winger grabbed a hat-trick of tries in their bonus point United Rugby Championship win over Edinburgh Rugby at Thomond Park on Friday night.

Zebo's third try, scored in the 77th minute of an entertaining contest, finally ended Edinburgh's stubborn resistance on a bitingly cold and windy night in Limerick.

Afterwards Munster head coach Van Graan said of Zebo, who returned to the province from France last summer: "He is a special player; he finished really well tonight. That is why he scores tries. He finishes the the opportunities he gets. That puts you in a good position. T

“That is why you have players with the X-Factor in your team to finish those opportunities, all pretty different.

“A few guys put him in space, Mikey (Haley) put him in space, the one at the front of the lineout when we mauled in there.

“The good thing about tonight is that we finished our opportunities and got a bonus point. Well done to the team. It is great to have Zeebs at the back end of three of them.”