Murphy waiting in wings for Ireland’s call

EIGHT years Geordan Murphy has been playing for Ireland. For most of that time, the Leicester full-back has been fielding the same old questions about the disparity between his form at club and international levels.

Eddie O’Sullivan names his starting XV for the opening Six Nations game of the year against Italy today and, though Murphy is expected to get a slot on the wing, it would be by default as much as anything else.

Denis Hickie has retired, Shane Horgan injured while Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald are still wet behind the ears. The fact remains that Ireland continues to see less than the best of this most naturally talented of rugby players.

O’Sullivan has not been his most ardent supporter as the World Cup in France showed yet again when, after 30 seconds in the first three games, he was named at 15 for the tie against France, in for the injured Girvan Dempsey.

When fit, the Leinster full-back has been rock steady for province and country leaving Murphy to readjust his bearings for a stint on the wing on the majority of occasions when he has made an appearance for Ireland.

“That is a little bit tougher,” said Murphy of his touchline assignments. “Everyone has a position that they would prefer and that is obviously the case with full-back for me.

“When it has been needed, I have played on the wing for Leicester. If I was chosen to start on the wing at the weekend I would be more than happy to put on the green shirt.”

Despite his hot and cold experiences at international level, Murphy hasn’t been as peripheral as the general perception would suggest.

Eight of the current squad, Murphy among them, made their debut in 2000 and the Kildare man is sixth on the list of appearances with current cogs Marcus Horan and David Wallace perched below him in that pecking order.

Shane Horgan, perceived as a cornerstone of this team for years now, has only five caps more but Murphy’s likely positioning on the wing on Saturday is symbolic of a curious trend in Irish back play these days.

Whatever the back three O’Sullivan names, numbers 11 and 14 will be converted wings. There are more bald eagles flying around these shores than natural born top-class wings.

“The back three positions are all reasonably similar. It’s not the exact same position but a lot of young guys coming up have skills that are transferable between full-back and wing.

“It’s just one of those things. I know Rob and Luke both play full-back and John Murphy with me at Leicester is a very talented full-back as well.”

As ever, Murphy’s life in the English midlands is sailing along more smoothly where, despite the Tigers’ predilection for rotating and his own World Cup duties, he is eighth highest in the list of minutes played this season.

He took part in the first 65 minutes of the rout against Newcastle Falcons at Welford Road on Saturday, continuing an excellent run of form in the Premiership which leaves the side in second spot and just four points behind Gloucester.

It’s an impressive standing considering the transition that has had to be made between former coach Pat Howard and Marcelo Loffreda who took over after the World Cup.

Reports on Murphy have been positive but he rejects the assertion that it has been his best-ever start to a season and the bald statistic of one try in 13 matches would reinforce his protestations.

“It’s been going all right at Leicester. It’s been a bit of a strange start to the season, a bit up and down with the World Cup and what have you. A new coach has arrived as well in Marcelo and he has brought a few different ideas with him.

“It has been a tough transition. We’re going alright in the league, we’re out of Europe and we’re going well in the Powergen (Cup). My form has been ok but nothing too exceptional.”

Good, bad or indifferent, Murphy’s form tends to escape the radar screen for vast swathes of the season thanks to his decision to ply his trade in Britain but he has acquitted himself well on the occasions his path has crossed the Irish provinces.

Last season he scored a try in Leicester’s historic European win at Thomond Park and he was in direct opposition to Dempsey on the two occasions that the Tigers lined out against Leinster this year.

The second of those came earlier this month when, despite being already eliminated, Leicester shattered

Leinster’s already fragile qualification hopes at Welford Road.

Ask Murphy if he was happy with his own contribution given the added attention the game garnered here at home and he answers the question from a team perspective rather than a personal one.

It is something he does throughout the entire interview. Eight years on, maybe he has finally tired of being asked the same old questions.