Conor Murray’s absurdly good year ends with another much deserved accolade.
2016 included historic wins away in South Africa and over New Zealand at Soldier Field, as well as a Wallabies scalp, but Murray has managed to surpass that in 2017.
The Munster scrum-half started the year in top form before missing out on two months through injury, only to come back and star for the Lions in New Zealand and launch into 2017/18 at the very top of his game.
Murray was one of six winners in The Hard Yards‘ first ever, and already prestigious, end of year awards [from 27:00 below]. The 27-year-old was named IRISH PLAYER OF THE YEAR by an expert panel of Andy McGeady, and former Ireland internationals Kevin McLaughlin and James Downey.
“In terms of what he does and what he brings every week, and the influence he has, Murray is the best,” said McLaughlin. All three men immediately agreed and there was not even a debate. Murray was also named best player by Rugby Writers of Ireland in late October.
Here are the other five awards that were doled out.
WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR
“For me,” declared Kevin McLaughlin, “you can’t go past Beauden Barrett. He is the man, at the moment.”
“Spot on,” James Downey agreed. It is another award for the outrageously talented All Blacks No.10 and one to add to his consecutive World Rugby Player of the Year trophies.
BREAKTHROUGH STAR
No doubt about it, from an Irish perspective. The likes of James Ryan and Andrew Conway have shone for Ireland but the man of the moment is Ulster’s 21-year-old winger and scoring sensation Jacob Stockdale.
Stockdale has eight tries in his last nine outings for Ulster and Ireland, including three in his two appearances in November’s Guinness Series. It’s crazy to think that he was playing in the World Rugby U20 Championships in the summer of 2016. Has made the No.11 jersey his own, for Ulster and Ireland.
Downey name-checked Conway, Darren Sweetnam, Jack O’Donoghue, Jack Conan and Dan Leavy but was certainly not arguing when the award went to Stockdale.
TRY OF THE YEAR
While Downey went for Nick Grigg’s try for Glasgow Warriors, against Leinster, this season, McLaughlin and McGeady were in agreement that Sean O’Brien’s score against New Zealand in the First Test of the Lions Test Series was the winner.
“The move, the circumstances,” began McGeady before he was met with nods of agreement.
STEVE WALSH AWARD FOR FABULOUSNESS
Logovi’i Mulipola just edges Ian Madigan and, in reality, it’s all about the flowing locks.
JAMES DOWNEY AWARD FOR LEGAL HIT OF THE YEAR
You could hear the whoops and ‘Oooooo’s’ in the Eden Park crowd when Tonga’s David Halaifonua stopped Wales’ Cory Allen dead in his tracks:
https://youtu.be/SS1elp2QjPw
Congrats to one and all.
