Country Roads. Darragh Murray’s unplugged version of the John Denver song after last summer’s victory over Georgia in Tbilisi fulfilled the ritual demanded of all debutants.
It may have been a more traumatic experience than cutting his mullet hairstyle, but he emerged scathed but unbowed, albeit thereby having to forgo membership of a stylistically hirsute club that included fellow tourists prop Scott Wilson and assistant coach Cullie Tucker.
The following week, the 24-year-old from Lisbrock in Roscommon won a second cap in the victory over Portugal in Lisbon. On Saturday at the Aviva Stadium, Murray is set to play in a third Test match for Ireland, when, rather than if, summoned from the replacements bench.
James Ryan’s injury has afforded an opportunity. Ireland head coach Andy Farrell decided not to go back to the future, even though he called in Iain Henderson, the Ulster and Lions secondrow with 85 Irish caps, to train with the squad.
Murray had been part of the extended Irish squad for the duration of the Six Nations. And when the vacancy arose, there’s no doubt that he had the imprimatur of forwards coach Paul O’Connell, who led Ireland’s summer tour as Farrell was in Australia masterminding the Lions Test series win over the Wallabies.
O’Connell’s first-hand introduction to Murray’s qualities was on the Emerging Ireland tour to South Africa in 2024. While there were others with more Test experience on the summer tour, O’Connell entrusted the young lock with the lineout calling duties.
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He explained why. “Darragh is a big man [6ft, 7in], he’s 120 kilos, but he’s a lovely, calm presence in the lineout, calm presence around the field. You don’t have to explain things much to Darragh; he just gets them straight away.
“I think he’s had some pretty good coaching up in Connacht over the last number of years. So, when he comes in with us, like when we had him on the Emerging tour, he just gets it very quickly and gets going very quickly.” He’s also not selfish. In the Georgia game, Murray called 11 lineouts on Ryan Baird.
The Roscommon man resumed his lineout calling duties for an Ireland XV in a 61-24 victory over Spain last autumn and managed to score the first try of the match, a feature of which was his footwork and athleticism. Tucker, head coach for the Spanish game, is well-versed with Murray’s talent as he works with the player at Connacht.
It has been noted that Darragh Murray has a conspicuous work ethic on both sides of the ball. Photograph: Inpho
He offered the following insight: “I have known Darragh for a long time now. He’s a very calm individual, a very intelligent rugby player. He takes stuff on very, very quickly, but Paul’s [O’Connell] coaching is to the fore there and the work John Muldoon has done in Connacht.
“He’s a sponge for that kind of information, and he’s a smart rugby player. You must be able to call a lineout. There’s a lot of good [rugby] IP (intellectual property) there as well.”
Murray, the younger brother of fellow Connacht secondrow Niall, followed a familiar pathway, having taken up the sport when ushered through the doors of the Buccaneers club in Athlone.
Playing his way through a series of Connacht underage teams, he joined the academy and was then selected for the Richie Murphy-coached Ireland under-20 team in 2021. Emerging Ireland and Ireland XV appearances followed before that Test debut last summer.
He was due to play against England A at Thomond Park, but Farrell elected to retain Murray and Jude Postlethwaite in the senior squad rather than release them. The Ireland coach selected Munster’s uncapped Edwin Edogbo for the matchday 23 against Italy and the Cobh Pirates secondrow won his first cap as a replacement that day, coincidentally coming on as a replacement for Ryan.
Murray is more reminiscent of Ryan as a player, quick, athletic and mobile, with a conspicuous work ethic on both sides of the ball and is comfortable with the lineout calling duties. Tadhg Beirne will fulfil the latter role in the starting team, but Murray’s presence on the bench means that Ireland can switch things up if need be.
The Connacht man is a significant threat on opposition ball out of touch and that’s an area that Ireland will be keen to target at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, especially considering that 10 of Scotland’s 17 tries in the Six Nations to date have had the lineout as a launch play.
He has previously spoken about taking inspiration from the way in which Ulster’s Cormac Izuchukwu, a team-mate on that Emerging Ireland tour, took his opportunity at senior Test level. Now it’s Murray’s chance. Everything he’s done to date suggests that he will grasp it.
He might care to rewind to his debut and recall his mindset that day in Tbilisi. “I tried to take it in and not get ahead of myself.” As advice, that still stands.
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