Conor Murray: Staying at Munster a no-brainer

Ireland and Lions scrum-half Conor Murray has given Munster a massive boost ahead of their must-win Champions Cup clash at Leicester by saying a new deal to keep him at the province was “almost a no-brainer”.

With Munster’s European hopes hanging by a thread following a home defeat to Leicester at Thomond Park last Saturday, their third loss in succession during a dismal run of form this month, Murray yesterday gave the province’s supporters a much-needed lift by saying his contract talks were ongoing with the IRFU over a new central deal but he hoped to be able to continue playing for “a great club”.

Murray first burst into the senior set-up while still an academy player under Tony McGahan, in the spring of 2011, winning that season’s Munster Academy Player of the Year award. His rise through the ranks ahead of seasoned internationals Peter Stringer and Tomas O’Leary continued at national level, Murray winning his first Test cap in a World Cup warm-up against France that summer and making such an impression on Ireland boss Declan Kidney, that he earned a place in the 2011 World Cup squad.

A British & Irish Lions tour followed in the summer of 2013 and Murray finished the Test series against Australia having outshone fellow scrum-halves Mike Phillips and Ben Youngs.

His verbal commitment to his home province comes in the wake of new deals already agreed with Ireland flanker Tommy O’Donnell and newly Irish-qualified No.8 CJ Stander. Yet with wing Simon Zebo also out of contract at the end of the season and being courted by lucrative offers from France, head coach Anthony Foley will be mightily relieved to hear another star attraction pledging his future to the cause.

Talking yesterday ahead of Munster’s return clash with Leicester on Sunday, Murray, 26, said: “Negotiations have started and it’s something you don’t want to be thinking about for these big weeks, so it’s been put on the back burner for these games. Maybe after Europe, we’ll look at finishing it off and getting it done so I don’t see too many problems with myself. I love playing here, I love playing in Ireland and I want to continue doing that, so it’s not done yet, but hopefully it will be.”

The Patrickswell native said he was not certain when the new deal would be finalised, adding: “It depends on how you feel and how busy you are. That’s for your agent and the IRFU to intervene when they know you have a bit of down-time and get it done properly.”

Yet the news was unequivocal and totally positive as far as Munster and its supporters will be concerned.

“That’s ideally what I’d like to do and I make no bones about it. This is a great club, a great set-up, it’s my home and there’s an unbelievable set-up here. It’s almost a no-brainer, I’d love to continue playing here.”

Murray added that helping Munster return to the glory days they experienced when he was a young supporter watching his idols win the Heineken Cup in 2006 and 2008 was a key component in his decision to stay in Ireland.

“That’s probably a big factor, when you think about your future and signing on. You take it separately, Ireland has been brilliant for the last few years and I’ve really enjoyed that.

“With Munster, we’ve been in Europe for the last three or four years and haven’t done too much. I want to be part of some Munster team that does something. That’s another little section, another reason why you would stay here.”