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The Ireland reason why 2021 Lions captain Murray is left on bench
Andy Farrell has explained why Ireland elected to go into their Autumn Nations Series battle versus the All Blacks this Saturday with Conor Murray, the 2021 Lions tour captain when Alun Wyn Jones out injured, held in reserve on the replacements bench for the second weekend in a row. The 32-year-old flew out of Edinburgh last June having been appointed skipper by Warren Gatland after Jones was ruled out of the South African trip with an injury versus Japan.
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The enormity of the appointment seemed to affect Murray’s form as he only made the bench for the opening Test, by which stage Jones had miraculously recovered and had flown over to Cape Town to resume the captaincy for the series versus the Springboks.
Murray did bounce back to be the starting No9 in the second Test but he was again benched for the series-deciding third Test, losing his battle once more to Ali Price and that No2 status now mirrors his current position in the pecking order with Ireland.
The Munster scrum-half had started in 81 of his 89 Ireland caps coming into this year’s Autumn Nations as he had long been the preferred starter under Declan Kidney, Joe Schmidt and initially Farrell. It was last November when there was the first inkling that his status might change as Jamison Gibson-Park was picked to start the Nations Cup games versus Wales and England with Murray consigned to the bench.
However, he fired back from that situation in the Six Nations to restore his reputation as the Ireland No1 scrum-half but he is now battling a rival who is suddenly far more comfortable with the demands of Test level rugby than he was a year ago and it left Murray winning his 90th Ireland cap from the bench last weekend.
"Faz showed a lot of empathy, the way he replied…"#Ireland #IREvNZL #AutumnNationsSeries #AllBlackshttps://t.co/zBIFDvQBbY
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 9, 2021
That left Gibson-Park free to kill Japan in the opening 19 minutes, two slick passes and a clever kick in behind creating the opening three Ireland tries and he went on to score the fourth try himself in a coming of age performance by the 29-year-old from New Zealand who will now start against his native country. “We thought Jamison played really well and deserves another shot at starting,” reckoned Farrell.
“He is more comfortable in his own skin at this level now, his maturity and his leadership have gone through the roof at this type of level and I thought he had an excellent game last week, so he gets the chance again.”
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Ireland will take the field on Saturday in Dublin with the same line-up that was announced on Thursday after a virus test scare on Friday was put to bed without the loss of any of their players. Their only starting XV change from last week’s win over Japan they had announced was Iain Henderson coming in at second row for fellow Lions tour pick Tadhg Beirne.
“We thought that last week that Tadhg was better suited to the Japan game and we feel that at the start of this game Iain is better suited to start,” explained Farrell. “One hundred per cent Tadhg played really well last week. He will come on in whatever position it is and finish the game really well for us.”
PLAYER RATINGS: Ireland impress on Sexton's big day, with some players fully deserving of 9/10 ratings#AutumnNationsSeries #IREvJAP #Ireland https://t.co/xRmlYUDoHB
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 6, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
I’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
4 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
6 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
8 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
8 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
4 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to comments