Murray relishing steep learning curve

IT’S funny how things change. A year ago this weekend, for instance, as Munster’s world was about to come crashing down in Toulon, Conor Murray was at Meadow Lane in Nottingham, helping his fellow young Academy hopefuls and fringe players in the Munster A team eke out a 15-14 win in the British & Irish Cup.

Twelve months on and Munster are flying high in Europe once more and Murray is one of a sprinkling of those young hopefuls who is an integral part of Phoenix-like ascent.

Now the number one scrum-half for province and country and already with a World Cup under his belt, the 22-year-old Garryowen number nine is still on a steep learning curve but with yet another big-game start in the offing against Castres in the Heineken Cup tomorrow at Thomond Park (3:40pm) even the most modest of individuals must recognise they are heading in the right direction even if the route has been a little unorthodox.

Murray already has an impressive resumé of appearances to his name although he started in a World Cup quarter-final before making his Heineken Cup debut last November against Northampton Saints. What is clear, though, is that the accumulation of those important matches — he has started each of Munster’s four Pool 1 victories to date — in front of large, passionate and expectant crowds has done wonders for the rookie’s confidence and development.

“Last year, I was probably with the As. I’ve gotten used to it pretty quickly,” Murray said. “Last year, playing Magners and in the final and then going to camp with Ireland and going away and playing with them and then playing Heineken since I came home from the World Cup, I’ve become used to it and I’m loving it now and enjoying it and enjoying the pressures that come with it.

“It’s getting used to the big games and the pressure and being able to make sure that you’re calm yourself and go out there and play your own game and not try and do anything different, that’s the main thing.

“And the more you do that, the more you get used to it, the more comfortable you become, and it gets easier, I think.

“It’s changing a lot as the games go on and the bigger games go on. I’m enjoying it, I’m getting a chance to improve my game on the big stage and looking for improvements to my game from game to game and that’s really enjoyable.”

Make no mistake, there are still improvements to be made, with the blame for last weekend’s butchered try against Treviso laid firmly at Murray’s door after his pass to Niall Ronan was deemed forward.

“I think it was,” he admitted, before adding: “Peter O’Mahony wasn’t too happy with me, I probably should have hit him but we created a good few opportunities and left a few out there but still managed to get the bonus point, which was good.”

A victory may have been the main objective against Treviso and for all the unforced errors Murray believes Munster are in a pretty good place heading into the resumption of a so-far successful Heineken Cup campaign. This weekend, too, a bonus point would come in handy, securing a return to the quarter-finals after last season’s rare absence.

“We’re pretty happy, yeah,” he said. “A few of us had two weeks off so coming back again we were going to be a small bit rusty but (against Treviso) we got five points, four tries and we left a few tries out there. So we’re pretty happy, we’re pretty close to where we want to be.” Castres, he said, are: “A very tough side, we’ve played them already, got a win over there that time and we’re pretty well prepared for them this week and the challenge. We’re concentrating on our own game and like I said, we’re pretty close to where we want to be. We’re feeling good.”

Munster captain Paul O’Connell this week credited the newer and younger members of the squad such as Murray and O’Mahony, Danny Barnes and Simon Zebo, with having a positive impact on the older brigade and re-energising the whole squad after the disappointment of last season’s early Heineken Cup exit. Murray does not disagree.

“Yeah, there’s a big group of us coming through at the moment and I think it’s nice the way we’re playing quite well and we’re obviously in a good position in the Heineken Cup. At the start, the media paid attention to the squad changing and they were a lot of people worried about it, would we survive and stuff like that, but I think it’s refreshing to see where we are positioned in both leagues and we can really push on from here with the new look to the squad.”

Murray is also grateful to the mentoring O’Connell, Ronan O’Gara and company are prepared to give to Munster’s newest intake.

“All of them have an input into my career. You go to certain players with certain problems and look for advice off certain people you know are going to give you good advice back.

“They’re all quite good and also playing so close to ROG on the field and talking to him off the pitch helps me and gives me a lot of confidence as well.”

Not that there’s been much time for talk after a whirlwind nine months since Murray made such an impressive transition last April from Academy player to the senior ranks. “It’s been pretty full-on. Obviously the World Cup happened, two weeks off and then straight back into this, so I haven’t really had time to get a good break and have that second-season syndrome but hopefully that won’t come.

“I’m just taking one game at a time and enjoying it.”