CAP NUMBER 100 in an Ireland jersey arrives tomorrow for Conor Murray. Cap number one came all the way back in 2011. Scan over all the games in between, and you’ll find Murray’s named joined by Johnny Sexton in the Ireland starting team 64 times.
It’s been one of the great half-back partnerships in world rugby, and one that lasted longer than most. After this weekend the duo will be just 14 shy of the world record for starts by a half-back pairing, an honour held by Australia’s Stephen Larkham and George Gregan.
“They’re world class,” says Gregan, the most-capped Wallaby of all time.
“Those guys are amazing, they’ve played so much together. Against that All Blacks team, they were the guys who could control that match in Chicago (2016) and beat the All Blacks.
“I’ve seen them play countlessly in so many big games and they’ve got that awareness and instinct of when to control, when to play off nine, play off 10, who’s going to kick. It’s like a sixth sense, it’s a beautiful combination and that comes from just trusting each other and working hard for a long period of time with each other. It’s a wonderful combination.
“It’s for others to compare but I know they’re better kickers than myself and Stephen, that’s for sure.”
While Sexton remains the main man in the 10 shirt for Ireland, Murray finds his career on a different path. The Munster scrum-half still has plenty to offer, but has seen Jamison Gibson-Park skip ahead of him in the Ireland pecking order. Murray’s start against South Africa tomorrow will be his first in the green jersey since last year’s November internationals.
“Hey, it happens,” Gregan continues. “It’s the evolution of time and what the coaches think at the time, what’s best for the squad.
I know what Conor Murray’s like, if he starts, he’ll start a game pretty damn well. He’s a champion player, one of the greatest scrum-halves ever for Ireland, one of the great scrum-halves in world rugby and his record shows that.
“But there’s a maturity. I don’t like talking about it but there was a point where I didn’t go on a 2006 tour and I think Matt Giteau played nine and they tested that. Then I came off the bench.
“It’s a chance for you actually to pass on your knowledge. When I first started I had some wonderful players like Peter Slattery giving me information and helping me get better even though we were competing.”
Murray will likely slip back behind Gibson-Park in Farrell’s thinking once the Leinster scrum-half returns to full fitness, but Gregan adds that he can still add value in that role, as showcased across some impressive performances off the bench earlier this year.
I think that’s a nice part of being in the situation, the position like Conor Murray is in. Because when he gets on there he knows what to do. He knows how to control the tempo of the game, he knows how speed it up, where the space is. He knows how to use his kicking game, how to control the game really, really well.
“I think there’s something nice about having that as a coach too, someone coming in and closing a game out. I know it’s a buzz word, closers, but at the end of my career, which was a long time ago professionally and internationally, yeah, you come on as a closer and it’s nice.
“You come on there and you know what you need to do. You see the game and then you put that in place because there’s just that nice bandwidth of experience and knowing what to do with that time and that’s what he’ll do.
“I think as soon as you stop wanting to prepare but also compete and contribute with the teammates you’re playing with then that’s a sign – okay, I’m done, I’ve had a good run, it’s time to move on. But whilst you’re still competing, you’ve got something to play for, which I know he does.
“Himself and Johnny Sexton, they’ve got some unfinished business I’m sure they’ll want to be working towards and they’re giving themselves the chance to contribute to the team they’re playing with. Regardless if they’re starting or they’re coming from a bench position or from a finishing position, it doesn’t really matter, you’re contributing to your team and ultimately that’s what matters.
“Sometimes you win Test matches in the last 20 minutes, and you don’t always win a Test match in the first 20 minutes but you can lose it in the last 20 so there’s a big part to play and you’re seeing more and more of that in the modern game.”
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