| Murphy promises a bright future
BY DAVID THORPE
 Geordan Murphy
speaks with the willowy drawl of a man at ease with the world.
Ireland’s eminently talented full-back has, like the rest of his
international colleagues, been in the middle of a maelstrom since the
boys in green turned in a tepid performance in losing to France. But the
Leicester Tigers star retains the easy confidence that is his hallmark,
and is looking forward to the clash with Wales on Sunday.
“After the France game it was probably the worst I have felt after
an international; my chest hurt and I sprained a rib, but really I was
hurting from the feeling of having let my team mates down. I think I was
certainly to blame for the first try. Some people seem to think I have
become a bad player after two games, but there is nothing I can do about
the French game now, so its a case of onwards and upwards, both in terms
of my own performance and for the team.”
The 27-year-old Naas-born star has been living something of a double rugby
life for the past season or so.
Consistently touted as among the best at his trade in the Zurich Premiership,
he is the exuberantly talented full-back in a Leicester team enjoying
an excellent 2005-06 season.
However, Geordan has looked hesitant and pedestrian in an Ireland team
which seems more nervous of failure than confident of success.
“I have been with Leicester now for nine seasons. They have been
largely successful and I have gotten to know my teammates and the plays
which we use here, so it is a bit different coming in to play for Ireland,
with different players and tactics, but it is not such a big deal. I am
lucky that Leicester are successful at the moment, but remember I was
part of the triple crown-winning Ireland team of two years ago, and we
only lost one match last year. We know the ability is there and its up
to everyone involved with Ireland to put the work in to turn it around.”
Murphy’s voice contains a sliver of irritation when he mentions
that: “The expectation levels are higher than every before, and
some of the people who were great at building us up are now anxious to
knock us down.”
Geordan’s story contains enough of the fairytale to inspire a movie.
“I was just playing junior rugby for my home town club of Naas and
going to college, when one of the Naas coaches wrote off to Leicester
to get me a trial. I went over as a complete nobody and played in some
academy and reserve matches before being offered a contract. I was never
called a superstar when I signed and had to work my way into the team.”
Murphy comes from a devoted rugby family — all of his siblings are
involved in the local club. While Murphy always liked the oval ball game,
the Kildare man also played gaelic football at all levels for the Naas
club, and had “a game or two for Kildare minors. It is a sports
mad place, and I played every game going. It was at Newbridge College
that rugby began to take precedent.”
Geordan believes that the second-half performance against France could
mark a turning point for Ireland’s season.
“I think that we took control of the game, and had France on the
back foot for a long while, they were certainly pulling out all the stops
by the end, and we played at something closer to our true ability as a
team. The confidence in the camp is still high, and as far as I am concerned
the triple crown is still a posibility.”
Melodrama and Welsh rugby have long been bedfellows, a trend which has
continued with the sudden resignation of triple-crown winning coach Mike
Ruddock, but Murphy doesn’t believe recent events will affect the
Welsh team on the day.
“I think there was a lot less in it (the manager’s resignation)
that the media are making out. The guy who has come in has the respect
of the players, so while those things might be used to make the Welsh
underdogs on the day, I can’t see it being any easier for Ireland
to get a result.”
Murphy began both his club and international career as a winger, but he
is anxious now to clarify that: “I have only played twice on the
wing for Leicester this season. I am a full-back and that is the position
I most enjoy playing, although of course I wll play where ever is asked
of me.”
Geordan is articulate and forthcoming. He is clever enough, when discussing
the wealth of young attacking talent emerging on the Irish scene to mention
first the name of Tommy Bowe, the winger who has been critiscised in some
quarters for his international performances to date, and then Andew Trimble
and Eoin Reddan.
“The future certainly looks bright when you see lads of their ability
coming onto the scene, the competition for places is now intense and no
one is guaranteed to be selected anymore.
“Those younger players are very confident because they have been
successful with their provinces and at underage levels with Ireland. That
winning mentality is invaluable. The more senior Irish players in the
squad have it from the triple crown win. So nobody associated with Irish
rugby is any more interested in being gallant losers, or getting two wins
a season.
“We want to be contesting triple crown and grand slam matches all
the time. We have three matches left in this years six nations, so a triple
crown is still on. We have nothing to fear as we have beaten these teams
before, so who knows? I can guarantee that we are better than we have
shown to date and we will be going all out to win all of our remaining
matches. No Irish rugby player likes losing, and we want to give our fans
something to cheer about.”
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