Murphy determined to take World Cup chance

Geordan Murphy was today finally given the chance to prove he should not have been confined to idling on the sidelines during a frustrating World Cup.

The Ireland full-back will start his first match of the tournament after Girvan Dempsey lost his battle to be fit for Sunday’s clash with Argentina.

So far, Murphy has played just 30 seconds against Namibia and was curiously dumped from the 22 for last weekend’s 25-3 defeat by France.

The decision was known to have angered the 29-year-old with Eddie O’Sullivan justifying his omission by highlighting his troubled displays against the hosts.

For his growing band of critics, O’Sullivan’s reluctance to use one of Ireland’s most gifted, if erratic, players has been another stick with which to beat the under-fire coach.

But his hand was forced by Dempsey’s shoulder injury and Murphy, who missed out four years ago with a broken leg, today reflected on a trying three weeks.

“It’s been disappointing. At first you withdraw into yourself for a little while. You feel a little bit down,” he said.

“And you’re a bit like, ’oh God, what next?’ But in a team environment you try to remain upbeat for the rest of the guys.

“It’s very easy to walk around with your head down, sulking, but that’s not good for the team.

“So once you get a couple of the guys slapping you on the back saying, ’hard luck’, you kind of think, ’right, I’ve got to move on here and just smile’.

“I’m just very pleased to be getting a start. Everyone knows what happened to me at the last World Cup.

“It’s not been that successful a World Cup for me either so I’m just looking forward to having a run on Sunday.”

Murphy’s demotion from the bench against France sparked rumours that the Leicester three-quarter had walked out of the Irish camp in disgust.

The Irish Rugby Football Union were forced to deny he had left and today Murphy spoke about the bizarre turn of events that had the whole of Ireland talking.

“I was having dinner last Monday and someone pulled me aside and said that they’d heard I was heading home,” he said.

“Obviously there was no truth in it whatsoever so I didn’t take it too seriously at the time.

“I just thought it was a silly rumour but then when I got back to my room I had quite a few texts and missed calls with people saying stuff like ’what are you doing?’

“So then I had to assure people that I was still in the team hotel and I hadn’t gone too far!

“I wouldn’t throw the toys out of the pram and walk out on the guys in a tournament like this.”

Murphy’s good fortune is a cruel blow for Dempsey, who has been possibly the only Ireland player to emerge from an abysmal World Cup with any credit.

They have one last chance to reach the quarter-finals but must beat Argentina by more than seven points and score four tries in the process.

Murphy’s skills appear tailor-made for such a target and O’Sullivan admitted he will be playing with a point to prove at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.

“We know what Geordan can do when he’s in form. Cometh the hour cometh the man is the mantra here. He’ll be up for this one,” he said.

“We know he brings a cutting edge in attack, is a striker runner and he’s very good under the ball with a good right peg on him.

“Some people believe he’s been hard done by and I can understand that. But he’s in at the deep end and I’m sure he’ll be fine.

“It’s not fair to say I never had any faith in Geordan. I have lots of faith in him.

“France was a team Geordan has struggled against but this is a different game and a different challenge.

“He’s an experienced player with 50 plus caps now. He’s good enough to start this game.”