Why Conor Murray Has Been Ireland's Biggest Success After 3 Games of Six Nations
Ireland's unbeaten start to the 2015 Six Nations has not been due to any one player in particular, but Conor Murray has been the brightest gem for Joe Schmidt's side thus far in the competition.
From scoring Ireland's first try of the tournament to assisting Robbie Henshaw's crucial score in the 19-9 win over England, the Munster scrum-half has taken a leading hand in the team's rise to the summit of the table.
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It's not every No. 9 that can boast such a strong influence for their team. Scrum-halves may be seen as catalysts for the bigger weapons in any outfit, but Murray has shown what a direct impact can be had from his position.
In Schmidt, Ireland have arguably one of the greatest strategists in the sport, and in Murray, one of the best executors of said strategy. Ireland's scrum-half spoke to RTE Sport following the pivotal Week 3 victory against England, highlighting the importance of performing to a specific game plan:
"There was a lot of pressure in the build-up to it. And to get a good performance and to execute the gameplan we intended to go out and execute is fantastic. It was four years coming for me (a victory over England) and a number of other players in the squad. So to finally beat them in a big game meant an awful lot to people.
We had mapped it out as the biggest game since Joe took over. We had it up there with the New Zealand game. We looked at clips of the New Zealand game before we went and played England to try and get those intensity levels going into the game.
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Murray strikes as a figure who's indebted to perfecting his craft. The scrum-half's rise in recent years has seen him make the smooth transition from relative obscurity on the international scene to becoming one of the most in-form No. 9s of Test rugby; only New Zealand's Aaron Smith perhaps contends for that mantle.
His partnership with Johnny Sexton has been hailed as a dramatic factor in any Irish success under Schmidt's guidance. Although the glamour of Sexton's trade may see him take the majority of the plaudits, Murray is equally as deserving of any praise heading in his direction.
As far as his half-back talents go, he provides the complete package. The aforementioned try against Italy in Week 1 showcased his potential as a poacher, unafraid to take a grip of any opportunity he sees, undoubtedly weighing up all the variables in nanoseconds before making his call.
Evidently aware of the penalty advantage referee Craig Joubert had signalled for in the lead-up to Henshaw's try last Sunday, Murray told The42.ie of his thought process coming into such an inspired chip assist:
"It was kind of a pressure-off type play. I think Robbie mentioned that I just caught his eye and I give him a point over the top of the ruck and put it in the space. There wasn’t much space back there. Alex Goode was under the ball, Robbie did really well to get up above him and get the score which is fantastic.
They are high risk plays when you don’t have advantage, but they’re very rewarding when they do come off. That got us beyond seven points and put us in a nice position in the game.
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Full credit must of course go to the try scorer for his sensational take under enemy pressure, but these are the decisions Murray makes which, when simplified, can ultimately lead to championships.
That's the evolution the 25-year-old has shown in this Six Nations, to not only be the catalyst for those considerable assets surrounding him, but also to be the weapon himself.
Had any one of Sexton, Sean O'Brien or Jamie Heaslip played every minute of the tournament, one might be tempted to pick their name as the most crucial to Ireland's cause.
As it stands, however, Murray has been one of the omnipresent cogs after three rounds of the contest, and it was no surprise to see the Irish Independent pick out his display as one of the best against England:
It's fitting that one kick should lead Ireland to what will likely be the most important result of their Six Nations, considering both he and Sexton are both such expert resources in that regard.
Rugby World's Charlie Morgan utilised his powers of premonition prior to the Week 3 win and even went as far as to label their kicking game the best in the world:
"Match-day plug: Some analysis on Ireland's tactical kicking. Murray & Sexton are world's best http://t.co/MIc9vFM529 pic.twitter.com/eugbDrUn9K
— Charlie Morgan (@CharlieFelix) March 1, 2015"
One would be inclined to agree that—averaged between any half-back partnership on the international stage, not many rival the Irish duo as a kicking tandem.
Ball retention and discipline in attack has been a crucial component in Ireland's rise of late and, in that sense, Murray is the catalyst his coach would want him to be—the man who keeps things ticking.
After three rounds of the Six Nations, he's averaging just over 89 passes per game, and when it comes time for Ireland's tempo to step up, Murray is ahead of the pack in deciding when it's appropriate.
Murray's reputation as a superbly rounded rugby player is growing in 2015, and as long as he continues to play the role of playmaker and finisher all in one, Ireland boast a leader from a most unexpected source.
All statistics come courtesy of ESPN Scrum.
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