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30th November 2017
01:26pm GMT

"Frank was actually best man at my wedding so I'm pretty tight with him. "For pre-season, last year, we were playing Bath at Donnybrook and it was sort of his first big game. I was trying to WhatsApp him before - saying 'Bath do this, and this' and that I wanted to make sure he reffed the game properly. "He didn't even write back to me. It was obviously one of his first big games and he was probably pretty nervous about it. I think he was worried that I was going to be acting the maggot during the game and saying stupid things to him. "To be honest, I hadn't played in six months as I was just coming back after that concussion [sustained in Paris against France]. I was struggling for oxygen so I didn't say a word to him all game."A bullet dodged for Murphy and his former teammate is delighted to see he is getting some Challenge Cup games to oversee after doing so well in the Guinness PRO14.
The pre-match conversation reminds us of Stephen Ferris chirping up to the referee before an interprovincial game, early in his career, between Munster and Ulster. In Man and Ball, Ferris recalled his brief chat with Rolland ahead of the game at Musgrave Park:
"'See Alan Quinlan', I said, 'I’ve been watching him all week. At the breakdown he has been doing this, that and the other'." Rolland turned around. 'Stephen, just you concentrate on your own game. I’ll deal with everything else. Zip.' He mimed zipping his lips and walked off. I never said anything to a referee ever again.Proper order!
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