FITNESS PERMITTING, CONOR Murray’s place in Ireland’s World Cup squad named on Monday was never in doubt, yet the announcement brought back memories of two important junctures in his Test career.
The Ireland scrum-half is primed for his third World Cup in Japan later this month, having featured at both the 2011 and 2015 tournaments, firstly as a 22-year-old bolter and then the established nine in Schmidt’s side.
Eight years ago, Murray’s rise to Munster’s first-choice scrum-half earned him a seat on the place to New Zealand, slotting in alongside Isaac Boss and Eoin Reddan.
Having only made his Test debut a month previous, Murray started the opening pool victory over USA in New Plymouth, before being promoted into the nine jersey for the quarter-final defeat to Wales in Wellington.
“I remember getting the call to come in,” he recalls. “I got a run with Munster at the end of the year and got a call to come in. We had just won the Magners [League].
“In my head, I thought it was just an opportunity to come in and sponge off everyone in here and try an learn. In a way, that made me less nervous. It just let me relax and train as hard as I could, do as best as I could.
“I got a couple of opportunities. It was a massive turning point at the start of my career. It boosted me. It gave me a head-start, I suppose, let me get up to that level early.”
After his performance against USA, Murray came off the bench during Ireland’s memorable pool win over Australia, and then got his shot in the quarter-final in Wellington.
He continues: “It was sink or swim and, thankfully, I came back from that World Cup (in a better place). I know we were disappointed to go out at the quarter-finals. But, personally, from that experience, I think I gained an awful lot.
“World Cups are massive and 2015 was even bigger. It gave me more of a realisation of how big they are and how hard you have to work. In 2011, I suppose, I just kind of got in there without really understanding what it took to make a squad.
“In 2015, I understood it more and, this time around, I am fully aware of what can lie ahead and the opportunity we have.”
Four years ago, Murray was a far more experienced international scrum-half and having featured in five of Ireland’s games in England and Wales, found further quarter-final heartache harder to get over.
“I remember after that World Cup being really disappointed by that and hurt by that, and I’m sure a lot of people who were there that day still feel the same,” he says.
“I suppose those memories aren’t great because they went from the last group game against France in that Millennium Stadium, and one of the best feelings ever, that atmosphere and getting the win, and just feeling great and that we had a great chance.
“We took a few injuries and then the opposite feeling the week after even though it was the same, sold-out, unbelievable atmosphere, but we just gave them a head start. That’s a massive thing for us as a group, just starting well in games. It just goes such a long way to determining your performance and hopefully the result.
“Yep, I look back on that quarter-final with a bit of a regret. That’s got to be a bit of drive there and a bit of motivation for me personally and I’m sure the lads who were there in that game will have the same feeling.
“It doesn’t dominate you but it has to be in your mind as little bit, that disappointment, and that’s what we’ve had in the first eight weeks of training, the determination and the willingness to train and work as hard as you can, and try to get yourself in the best shape and condition you can be in.
The eight weeks were brilliant. The Italy game, we got the win there, and then the England game, I just really feel it was a blip. Something happened, or we were under-cooked or whatever, and that why last week was so big and hopefully we can go again this weekend and leave these shores with a good mindset.
After sitting out last week’s win over Wales in Cardiff, Murray is due to start against Warren Gatland’s side in Saturday’s rematch at the Aviva Stadium after being dealt an injury scare during pre-season.
“I think the eagerness in this squad to perform at the weekend, the commitment will be there,” he adds.
“I don’t think anyone’s going to think about the flight to Japan. This is a really important game for us. This is a game we want to perform and leave with a positive mindset and that’s what we’re trying to do.
“This week is about a Test week, I know there’s been a lot of other things, the squad announcement, things to do around the World Cup, but I’m sure the lads who are going to play will be ready for that. We don’t need to be told how big this game is.”
Murray Kinsella joins Gavan Casey, Ryan Bailey and Sean Farrell with their immediate reaction to Ireland’s 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
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