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Blair Murray: 'I still think any shape and size can play rugby'
By PA
Wales full-back Blair Murray insists size does not matter after losing his place in Steve Tandy’s Test team.
Murray was named 2024-25 Welsh Rugby Writers’ Young Player of the Year after leaving his native New Zealand and enjoying a stellar breakthrough season with Scarlets and Wales.
But the 24-year-old lost his place to Louis Rees-Zammit at the start of the Six Nations, with the aerial battle expected to be a dominant tournament theme.
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The official Welsh Rugby Union website puts Blair 5ft 9in tall and weighing 85kgs, and Rees-Zammit at 6ft 3in and 100kgs.
“I play differently to someone who’s six foot five, but I don’t think it means to say someone my height can’t play,” said Murray.
“When I have played I’ve done pretty well and made a case for being able to play as a short player.
“There’s other players like me, such as (Scotland winger) Darcy Graham, who is a class player and was in the Lions last year.”
It was often said in the amateur era that rugby union was a game “for all shapes and sizes” but players have become bigger, faster and stronger in the professional age, with physicality the name of the game.
Murray said: “I still think any shape and size can play.
“Things change tactically depending on who you’re playing or who you play for, but I still think that saying goes strong.”
Murray, however, concedes the role of the modern-day full-back is fraught with danger.
The number 15 is often alone under the high ball as opponents hurtle towards the target and have momentum on their side to get off the ground.
He said: “It’s a tough job. Without people being able to escort or block it does become just a straight one-on-one in the air.
“We’ve done a lot of work here about how many balls actually get caught cleanly and it’s quite a low percentage.
“So it’s more just about we’re focusing on trying to make a collision. Don’t shy away from the contact in the air, and just try and win the space early.
“You’ve got to try and have the mindset of winning the collision.”
Wales remain winless after suffering a 14th consecutive Six Nations defeat to Scotland last weekend, a game in which they led until the 75th minute.
Their next mission is in Dublin next Friday, against an Ireland side who maintained their title hopes by thrashing England at Allianz Stadium.
“It’s frustrating seeing the boys go out and put on a good effort, and not come away with the result,” said Murray, who appeared as an early blood replacement against Scotland before replacing winger Gabriel Hamer-Webb in the second half.
“We didn’t play the way we wanted against England and France, but Scotland was a really good shift for us.
“We wanted to take the game to them more rather than wait for opportunities, and I thought we did a really good job of that.”
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