Murray ready for Italian job

CONOR MURRAY’S selection as Ireland’s starting scrum-half tomorrow against Italy may have come as a surprise to some Irish fans but his captain and teammates have wholeheartedly endorsed the 22-year-old as good and ready for the most important match of his fledgling career.

Barely out of the Munster Academy, the Patrickswell, Co. Limerick player has quickly adapted to life, first as a provincial starter and now as an Irish international.

Murray only made his Ireland debut in Bordeaux eight weeks ago, coming on as substitute in the pre-season Test defeat to France. His first start came in the opening World Cup game against the United States on September 11 and after an impressive 20 minutes off the bench to help close out that historic first win over Australia in Auckland a fortnight ago, Murray has been handed the role alongside half-back partner Ronan O’Gara.

Brian O’Driscoll, for one, has no fears Murray is not up to the job after just four appearances in a green jersey.

“He’s a confident young man who has been shown to be in his depth in these surroundings,” the Ireland captain said yesterday. “You wouldn’t know the number of Tests he has under his belt.”

As a back-rower, Sean O’Brien has had more experience than most of Murray’s confidence levels as the scrum-half marshals the breakdown with the necessary spirit.

“He has no problems with that, that’s his job and we respect that, we have no problem with him barking at us,” O’Brien said. “He’s young but he’s an excellent player, so it’s very simple for him just to come in and once we are doing our job it should be easy if we have a platform for him. If we’re not, then it won’t happen for him, but we’ll sort out our side of things and he can go from there, control everything else.”

O’Brien’s first experience of Murray was at the opposite end of a ruck as the Munster youngster helped to defeat Leinster in the Magners League final at Thomond Park in May. And it is Murray’s provincial teammates who have seen him develop at close hand.

“He’s been around a lot for us because he’s been involved in our academy and we saw him coming through there,” Donncha O’Callaghan said. “My first impression was what’s the story with this fella coming into the Munster Academy with his hair straightened…that’s just not on!

“He always gives good attention to his work and he’s mad keen to work. It’s brilliant just how much he wants to take in. He’s a sponge really for [learning] stuff, it’s great. For someone who’s so young he’s well able to boss around the pack, which is important. He got that maybe from working with guys like Strings [Peter Stringer].”

Part of Murray’s attraction as a starter against Italy is his blossoming partnership with O’Gara, who gave perhaps the most meaningful endorsement of them all when the squad was newly arrived in New Zealand a month ago.

“It feels like he’s been around for years,” O’Gara. “I just think he’s very composed and it doesn’t seem to affect him. That’s the great thing about self-confidence: it’s more than skin deep with him. He is perfectly right to think he has the game to operate at this level.

“He’s got to be doing that for six months previous with Munster to keep his place, with the quality of opposition he has there.

“There is a gradual process to all of this. There are stepping stones and he has to keep making those jumps. He’s done that, and now he is ready to go.”