'It's good to have another Munster man. We're ahead in something anyway!'

Paul O'Connell welcomes Conor Murray into Ireland's centurion club with a salute to the scrum-half's consistency at the top of the game

FAIR PLAY: Conor Murray and Ireland forwards coach Paul O’Connell. Pic: INPHO/Ken Sutton

Few will appreciate Conor Murray’s 100th Ireland cap more than Paul O’Connell. The Munster legend was Murray’s captain when he broke through the academy ranks in 2011, his Ireland team-mate through his early days in Test rugby and now as part of the Irish management team he has seen the scrum-half maintain his hunger for improvement.

Murray is set to become just the eighth Irishman to reach a century of Test caps for his country when he starts against South Africa at Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening with O’Connell welcoming the latest addition to the club.