THOUGH THIS IS only his fourth knockout game since breaking through last season at Ulster, Jack Murphy already sounds like a seasoned operator when it comes to approaching the Challenge Cup semi-final with Exeter Chiefs.
“You’re either in it next week or you’re not, so that’s the kind of mindset we’re going with,” said the 21-year-old out half.
“You’ve got to be in the moment, really. I think we’ve done a lot of work this year to get us into this position and everybody (at Ulster) feels that we deserve to be here.
“We deserve this shot at a big team and to be at home in the semi-final for the first time in a long time,” added Murphy who, along with Nathan Doak, has brought his adopted province a thriving half-back partnership.
Ulster have certainly turned a corner this season, after the grimness of last year, and are not only chasing a place in a European final but are also in the mix for the URC’s top eight.
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Even so, Murphy, younger son of Ulster head coach Richie, is not for having his head turned at having already gone this deep into the Challenge Cup.
“It’s a knockout game. If it’s (the winning margin) 40 points, if it’s three points, one point, it doesn’t really matter.
“It’s just about getting over the line and getting to that final, which would be massive.
“It’s a massive week, a semi-final and I haven’t been in one so I’d say it’s definitely the biggest game (for me).
“That’s something we’ve been talking about this week, that it is just another game for us, but it still has to mean that little bit more.
“It’s not going to change the way we’ve thought all year and we’re going to approach the game the same way,” he maintained.
As for dealing with Exeter, who are also chasing knockout rugby in the English Premiership, Murphy is anticipating a full-on contest worthy of a semi-final.
“They’re extremely physical,” he pointed out.
“They’re good when they get into your half. They’ve got a good, kicking game with (Henry) Slade and lots of threats and obviously a lot of pace out wide as well.
“We’ve been figuring out how we want to impose ourselves on the game and that’s the most important thing for us, how we want to play the game and take away as many of their strengths as possible.”
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'We deserve this shot at a big team' - Ulster's Jack Murphy gears up for Chiefs test
THOUGH THIS IS only his fourth knockout game since breaking through last season at Ulster, Jack Murphy already sounds like a seasoned operator when it comes to approaching the Challenge Cup semi-final with Exeter Chiefs.
“You’re either in it next week or you’re not, so that’s the kind of mindset we’re going with,” said the 21-year-old out half.
“We deserve this shot at a big team and to be at home in the semi-final for the first time in a long time,” added Murphy who, along with Nathan Doak, has brought his adopted province a thriving half-back partnership.
Ulster have certainly turned a corner this season, after the grimness of last year, and are not only chasing a place in a European final but are also in the mix for the URC’s top eight.
Even so, Murphy, younger son of Ulster head coach Richie, is not for having his head turned at having already gone this deep into the Challenge Cup.
“It’s a knockout game. If it’s (the winning margin) 40 points, if it’s three points, one point, it doesn’t really matter.
“It’s just about getting over the line and getting to that final, which would be massive.
“It’s a massive week, a semi-final and I haven’t been in one so I’d say it’s definitely the biggest game (for me).
“That’s something we’ve been talking about this week, that it is just another game for us, but it still has to mean that little bit more.
“It’s not going to change the way we’ve thought all year and we’re going to approach the game the same way,” he maintained.
As for dealing with Exeter, who are also chasing knockout rugby in the English Premiership, Murphy is anticipating a full-on contest worthy of a semi-final.
“They’re extremely physical,” he pointed out.
“They’re good when they get into your half. They’ve got a good, kicking game with (Henry) Slade and lots of threats and obviously a lot of pace out wide as well.
“We’ve been figuring out how we want to impose ourselves on the game and that’s the most important thing for us, how we want to play the game and take away as many of their strengths as possible.”
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Crunch time Rugby Ulster