It’s a special club. As well as being luckier with their health than, say, Cian Healy, only exceptional players make it to four World Cups, like Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell or Rory Best. And now Johnny Sexton, Keith Earls and Conor Murray have followed suit.
Last Saturday’s tricky night against Samoa in the Bayonne rain was yet another reminder of Murray’s enduring value and qualities of this Irish team. He probably could have been an outhalf as well, or a centre, or a Gaelic footballer, but thankfully he’s been a world-class scrumhalf and cometh the 50th minute, once again his acute brain and footballing abilities were seriously required.
Lima Sopoaga had just kicked Samoa into a 13-7 lead.
Rob Herring, possibly the best third/second-choice hooker in the World Cup, had just been introduced and with his first touch, lofted his throw to the tail to counter Samoa’s lineout defence.
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For the first time all night, the Irish maul began to gain some traction, before Murray went off-script by dummying to the open side, then pirouetting before feeding Jacob Stockdale and winning the race to his chip, and thereafter Ireland were never headed.
Such was Murray’s importance to the cause that, tellingly, he was kept on the pitch for 72 minutes, longer than any of the other players who were replaced.
The Bayonne crowd having nailed their colours to Samoa’s cause, as Sopoaga lined up a late penalty to the corner, booing greeted the announcement that Murray, by then in the dug-out and unbeknown to him, had been chosen as the official man-of-the-match.
“I was more concerned about the lineout we were about to face. I didn’t actually hear it [the official award]. Someone told me about it though. A lot of people [were] going for Samoa, naturally, but a win is a win in this situation.”
After the maul, also infused by the arrival of James Ryan and Peter O’Mahony, cranked up the pressure Herring scored himself. But it still needed a lineout steal by Ryan to seal an uncomfortable win.
An unpleasant jolt as it all was though, Murray believes it will be invaluable, not least with the Pool B, round two game against Tonga in Nantes in mind.
“It’s a good test for us. Tonga are a similar-type team and we would expect to be a lot better, I think that goes without saying but the weather, we expected the weather conditions and we were pretty good in the first half I thought, just a few set-pieces and executing a few things.
“If we execute a couple of those lineouts in the 22 and we get a score it’s a completely different story but it didn’t happen for whatever reason and we ground out a win. I thought it was impressive the way we did. We stuck together when things weren’t going well.
“Faz mentioned it, we’re on a run like we’ve been on, the wins, I don’t know the number but he said it, like a record or something, you know, along that road we’re going to have games when things don’t go perfectly and we have to find a way.
“I thought we did a few good things in the first half, the scoreline didn’t reflect it and in the second half we found a way. Senior players came on and guided us around the place really and we found a way to get it done, which is pleasing.
“The World Cup could be like that and probably will be like that, it won’t go perfectly. So obviously the review on Monday, there’ll be a lot of stuff to go over. We know that ourselves as players but the pleasing thing is we found a way to get it done.”
Wise presence
Murray only broke into the Munster team in their successful Magners League run-in at the end of the 2010-11 season and began the World Cup pre-season as fifth choice before ultimately returning home as first choice.
“That was a different one because I was told I wasn’t going in 2011 and then get a phone call a few days later.”
A bolter in 2011, to a key man in the world-class hub of the team with Johnny Sexton in 2015 and 2019, Murray is now a wise presence, not to mention remaining as calm as ever, as well as bringing vital physicality, that strong kicking game and decision-making.
Not many teams, if any, will have a superior “backup” scrumhalf than the 33-year-old Munster number 9.
Jamison Gibson-Park has emerged as something of a heartbeat within the team, but having such an experienced and knowledgeable alternative, be it reading events and knowing exactly what to do, or to turn to in a crisis, is invaluable. His game and his fitness look to be in a good place.
“Pre-season’s been brilliant. I think the level of competition within the squad is really high and I’ve said it before, all four 9s that were in, we’re pushing each other. When you get your chance in a game because the competition is so high you really want to put your best foot forward.
“It was a tough night [against Samoa] but personally and as a team we found a way to get it done. So yeah, I feel really good, I feel fit, I’m buzzing.”
