Murray says Munster have learned from video nasty

Conor Murray knows the Thomond Park cauldron can work in Munster’s favour tomorrow, it is coping with the tornado Toulouse will bring with them that concerns the Ireland scrum-half.

Toulouse’s first visit to Limerick may or may not unsettle the four-time champions, but the electric atmosphere provided by a sell-out Munster crowd is certain to spur on Murray and company in the home ranks during tomorrow’s Heineken Cup quarter-final.

The onus on the Reds, though, is not to give the French visitors an early foothold in this potentially titanic struggle by handing them possession too easily. That was Munster’s downfall last week in their top of the table league derby at Leinster as the southern province kicked ball away all too readily and Murray insists the lessons learned from that game, rammed home by coaches Rob Penney, Simon Mannix and Anthony Foley, have to be applied.

“We didn’t go out with the intention of kicking so much, it’s just the way it unfolded. We’ve looked at the on the video and Rob and Simon and Axel have brought us through the video so we’ve learned from it.”

Saying it is one thing but Munster now have to match words with deeds, something they failed to do at the Aviva Stadium against Leinster last week. Murray, though, is happy his province is in a good place heading into the biggest game of their season.

“Our form has been quite good. There’s been the odd game where our decision-making hasn’t been as good as we would have wanted and last weekend, if you look back at the video, our shape was there. The game plan was in place, we just didn’t take the right options and we kicked a little bit too much at the end of the line whereas if we’d have held the ball we’d have taken Leinster through more phases and caused them a few more problems.”

Murray, 25 later this month, already has plenty of top-level experience under his belt having helped the &Lions to a Test series win last summer and in recent weeks playing an integral part in Ireland’s Six Nations success.

Yet playing for Munster in the Heineken Cup ranks just as highly for the Limerick half-back, who said: “It’s still a huge week. There’s huge pressure involved in it and coming back from the Six Nations there’s probably a little bit more expected of you.

“I think over the last couple of years my knowledge of the game has improved, but I know what is required to win a game, what we need to do well and where we need to play the game. I think it’s just an experience thing I’ve gained over the last few years that will help me going into this week.

“In saying that it’s still a huge week, the atmosphere and the pressure involved. These are special occasions.”