This is a final we will win

Playing for Ireland meant regular Triple Crowns, Six Nations showdowns and even a Grand Slam for players during the Noughties. Silverware and magical days became so regular that supporters became blasé about them.

But for the players who joined the Ireland set-up since the 2009 Grand Slam there hasn’t been too much to shout about. They’re the forgotten bunch, the ones who have left the big games behind them and every time they look at their more stayed team-mates’ CVs it reminds them what they’ve missed out on. That’s why tomorrow’s joust with France in the Stade de France means so much to Conor Murray.

“It would be huge. We’re a competitive bunch of players,” he said. “It’s a final and if we lose out on a trophy, it will be bitterly disappointing. But we have performed well and we’ve been getting better and better each game. I don’t want to even start talking about losing and where we are as a team. This is a final we’re playing in, and we’re going to win.

“I suppose, from my point of view, I’ve gone into games where we’ve needed results and when there was silverware on the line. I am going to look back to those times and draw confidence out of them. I am going to do my usual routine, prepare like I always do. If I’m stuck or I’m feeling a bit nervous, I’ll just chat to some of the older lads who have been in the situation before.

“But I think we are performing better and better each week. All we can do is look after our corner and hopefully our performance does go up another notch from the previous weeks and we do play well.”

However, he knows France will not roll over easily.

“I fully expect France to perform really well. They’re under a bit of pressure, they won’t be happy with how they’ve played in this Six Nations and they’re at home in front of their home crowd in the final game, on a big day.

“So I think they’re going to be hugely passionate and they’re going to bring a lot to the table. We’ve got to be ready for that.

“It is going to be huge, especially early on in the first 20 minutes.

“They are a passionate side, full of good players. They’re not happy with the standards they’ve set this time around.

“For a big game at home in Paris with a sold-out stadium, they’re going to want to put things right.

“We’ll expect them to come out of the blocks firing and be full of passion, so those first 20 minutes are going to be huge. Later on in the game, it is crucial that we do see it out if we are ahead.”

But, with such a poor record in France, can Ireland indeed see it out? Murray believes they can.

“We have huge clarity within our squad at the moment. Every player understands his role pretty much perfectly. Assuming we’re leading, late in the game we do have plays we can go to that everyone is fully confident in being able to do.

“That’s the thing about our squad at the moment. Joe [Schmidt] has instilled belief in us that if we perform and do our roles properly there is going to be a result at the end of it.”