A series of niggling injuries, but nothing severe enough to have stopped him from playing has knocked Jordi Murphy out of the thinking of Joe Schmidt. But the Leinster flanker now feels his game with Leinster is grooved enough that Schmidt might halt for a little longer at his name before coming to a decision for the remaining two matches in the Six Nations Championship.
In an Irish team that has been rapidly changing with jostling for shirts around various numbers, Murphy has shaken off the disappointment and more importantly gotten his physical condition to a place where he feels making a contribution to beating Italy and Scotland in the last two matches is within reach.
“Yeah. Joe rang me before he announced the squad and told me the bad news,” says Murphy. “I was disappointed for quite a while but I knew straight away I had to get straight back on the horse and do well here (with Leinster) and then hopefully that would translate into getting back into the international scene.
“I was trying to do the best with Leinster and then unfortunately for Seanie (O’Brien) he’s picked up a knock and Joe rang me up and put me into the squad. I don’t know what he’s going to do in the next few weeks but I’d hope to think I might be in his picture. I suppose the best way to force my way into that picture is to play well this weekend.”
Murphy last played with Ireland during the Rugby World Cup, starting at blindside flanker and scoring a try before departing for Rhys Ruddock against Argentina in Ireland's disappointing quarter-final defeat. But he knows his form before the Six Nations was not as engaging and sharp as it needed to be to impress the Irish coach, days he believes are behind him.
“I feel like I’m in a better place,” he says. “Obviously I went through a bit of a low for a while. It was obvious to see. I knew myself. I just wasn’t quite physically right and it was affecting my performances.
“But I feel like I’ve put all that behind me and I’m slowly but surely getting to where I know I can be so I’m not going to stop here. I’ve got a couple of good games under the belt. There’s still a long way to go.
“I’ve been quite fortunate in my career so far . . . whenever I have been injured it’s usually been ‘right you can’t play for a while.’ This was one of those where I could play but I didn’t feel like I was playing at 100 per cent and was just trying to rehab it and wasn’t at my peak. It’s feeling much better now. I’m just getting there.”
This weekend will be another game for Leinster to bring him on. That at least is where Murphy sees his opportunity. Ospreys, with some big players in their pack and maybe also Welsh backrow Justin Tipuric, will be the sort of challenge he needs for Leo Cullen to smile and Schmidt to take notice. Tipuric didn't start Wales' 19-10 win over France in the last round although he did come off the bench.
Warren Gatland might feel he needs game time in his legs when Ospreys visit the RDS on Saturday. For Murphy that would be a bonus.
“Absolutely. He’s proven time and time again he’s one of the best flankers, a real nuisance over the ball in Europe and around the world. Playing against the best players is what you want to be doing,” he says. “They are a strong formidable pack. That’s their second loss in the last ten games. They’ve been on a decent run of form.
“Connacht caught them out early doors, scored two quick tries against them and it was an uphill battle from there. We are not going to take them for granted. We obviously did a good job on the over there.
“They’ll be looking for revenge now this weekend.”
