It’s here!
Six Nations week is upon us and all the talk this week will be about who’s training, who will require a late fitness test and how on earth Ireland are able to protect Conor Murray once kick-off against Scotland arrives.
Murray has been sporting a target on his back for Munster in recent Champions Cup outings and although Scottish full back Stuart Hogg has insisted that there will be more to Scotland’s strategy than simply getting to Murray, it’s clear for all to see that Ireland’s in-form number 9 is considered the danger man by Ireland’s Six Nations rivals.
The Autumn internationals proved just how seamlessly Murray has developed into one of the most well-rounded scrum halves in world rugby and there’s no doubting that most of Ireland’s attacking threat comes through the Munster man and his stellar decision-making.
A performance of talent. A performance of balls. A performance of heart https://t.co/FaRNUGlmqY
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 7, 2016
But just how good is Murray?
Well if you ask Ian Madigan, who didn’t make Schmidt’s 40-man selection for the Six Nations opener, he will tell you that Murray is pretty damn good.
In Madigan’s debut column for RTÉ ahead of the upcoming tournament, the Bordeaux out-half detailed just what sets Murray apart from the rest.
“The fact that he always appears to have so much time no matter how high the stakes is a real sign of a top class player. He is certainly that,” Madigan wrote.
“But it’s not just the visual sense of time on his hands that makes him so good. He is calm under pressure, sure, and even in the white heat of battle reverts back to what works for him, and that’s the attribute you want from your key players in high pressure situations.
“He is also one of the fastest, most accurate passers in the game and his box kicking is incredibly consistent. Box kicking is a skill that is so difficult to be consistent with but Conor makes it look like a golf shot.
“He is also deceptively fast, running off the back of mauls, ‘8/9s’ off scrums…and he is very effective at drawing defenders and making space for others.
“And of course, once inside the ’22’, his try record is testament enough to the quality of his sniping breaks. He only needs a crack in the window to sneak through – let’s hope they appear on Saturday and we get off to the Six Nations start we need.”
Ireland travel to Murrayfield this weekend where they will meet Scotland in the first game of the 2017 Six Nations and here’s hoping that Murray gets the protection necessary to keep him on the pitch throughout the competition.
