Murphy out of the World Cup

Ireland’s World Cup hopes were dealt a shattering blow at Murrayfield this afternoon as inspirational full-back Geordan Murphy was ruled out of the competition with a broken leg.

The Leicester flyer was expected to be one of the key figures in Eddie O’Sullivan’s plans for next month’s tournament but will play no part in the competition at all.

Murphy was in obvious agony as soon as he hit the deck after an innocuous-looking tackle from diminutive scrum-half Mike Blair midway through the first-half.

After lengthy treatment he was stretchered from the field and taken straight to hospital – and Ireland’s worst fears were realised when a compound fracture was confirmed.