Jordi Murphy: Derby duel against Munster as big as a European clash

Jordi Murphy says tonight’s derby PRO14 clash against Munster is “as big as a European game” to Ulster as the northern province looks to build momentum into 2019.

Flanker Murphy, who made the unexpected switch to Belfast from the all-conquering Leinster set-up, has very firm ideas on the importance of tonight’s game at Kingspan Stadium.

“I meant what I said when I arrived in the summer, I didn’t come to Ulster to partake but not do too much,” he said yesterday. “We’re ambitious as a club, I’m ambitious, we’re doing the right things at the moment but if it was to stop now, to not perform against Munster, we’d be feeling pretty sorry for ourselves in three or four months.

“I honestly believe that these interpros are as big as European games, on Friday night you’ll see the crowd definitely feels that way.

“It’s a game against your rivals from just down the road, it doesn’t get much bigger than that. We’ve come off the back of a couple of good wins but we have to back that up against Munster.

It’s a big challenge, and, yes, it’s in the back of our minds that we took a bit a beating down there in Thomond Park in September, shipping over 60 points.

Murphy enjoys the attritional nature of these clashes, and remembers with pleasure fixtures with Munster in a Leinster shirt.

“Not until the final whistle was anything conceded, I love that. This will be my first interpro of the season and there’s a feeling in the squad that we have to do ourselves justice, so we’re definitely looking forward to this match.”

Murphy has quickly become an important figure in a back-row unit which has caught the eye as Ulster’s PRO14 and European fortunes have improved in the last month. In harness with No. 8 Marcell Coetzee and Sean Reidy on the other side of the scrum, Murphy had a dramatic impact on a forward unit which previously had been regarded as somewhat passive.

“Marcell has had a couple of tough years with injury but he’s been leading the ‘stats’ in carries and tackles. His workrate is relentless and you can tell, being alongside him, he’s just loving being out there. Sean’s brilliant as well, and against Scarlets last week he had 16 or 17 tackles, that’s impressive.”

Murphy’s own contribution in the setpiece and his physical presence in the loose has been outstanding. The decision to reassert his international ambitions away from the RDS would appear to have been a good one, and Joe Schmidt acknowledged his form with inclusion in the Autumn Series squad.

While insisting his first priority is to Ulster and head coach Dan McFarland, there is no disguising the combative flanker’s desire to stay in contention for a Six Nations and World Cup spot in 2019.

“The Irish coaches will be definitely watching the Munster game, and all the interpros, and for players we’re up against boys who are competing for your position in the international set-up, you’d be foolish to think it isn’t a ‘shop window’.

“You look to play your best every game, but there is certainly that little bit extra in the back of your mind when it’s an interpro, and you’re looking to put one over on the boys opposite you.

“Even with the changes the players’ welfare management programme makes to teams over the holiday period there’s incredible physicality and venom in them, I love them.”