Versatile Jordi Murphy ready for the next level

Just 18 months have passed since Jordi Murphy made his senior bow for Ireland with six minutes against England in the Six Nations, and yet the Leinster back row believes he is a very different beast now to the one that debuted at test level.

Murphy’s progress is, in fact, symbolic of just how much can happen in one World Cup cycle. This time four years ago, he was coming off the back of a stint at the Junior World Championships with the U20s and just about to make his Leinster debut.

Now he finds himself on the brink of a place in Joe Schmidt’s squad for the World Cup: one of those players who will hope to fall the right side of the sword when the Ireland coach makes his final cut at the end of the month.