‘I’m in the real world now,” Conor Murray says with amusement soon after he opens the front door to his house in Castletroy, on the edge of Limerick. His smile matches the two black eyes which make him look like a hardcore fighter during a brutal training camp. Of course this is the face of a professional rugby player who has won 72 caps for Ireland, played five Lions Tests and, after a magnificent nine-year career with Munster, is ready for a gripping European Champions Cup semi-final against Saracens on Saturday.
Murray turns 30 that day and he is entitled to joke about his age after he took a bang to the face against Cardiff this month. “Everybody makes a big deal of it,” he says of a milestone birthday. “It gives you a chance to reflect, see yourself as a 21-year-old, see where you thought you’d be, then look forward to where you want to go. I’ve been very lucky so turning 30 doesn’t scare me. I feel fit and I’m enjoying my rugby. Let’s not forget some lads play into their forties.”
The scrum-half laughs before his gaze turns steely. “I’m not going to do that but the next six-and-a-half months could be the best of my life. They could be career-defining.”
The World Cup looms but, before then, Murray is consumed by Munster and his ambition to win the European Cup with his boyhood team. “It would be incredible,” Murray says. “I’ve been lucky with Lions tours and Six Nations wins and I wouldn’t trade them. But winning the European Cup with Munster would be unbelievable. It means the world to me.”
When Murray made his Munster debut nine years ago this Thursday, was his fantasy to win the European Cup? “One hundred per cent. As a young fella, my thing was the Heineken Cup. Wow. I was there with my dad when Munster won it the first time in Cardiff in 2006. And I watched the 2008 final on the big screen in Limerick. There were tens of thousands and I was blown away. I also remember going into school after Munster lost semis and finals and people spoke about how they were crying at home. Munster and the European Cup is instilled in you. It means an awful lot here.”
Before looking ahead to the ferocious clash with Saracens, Murray acknowledges that the past nine months have been the most testing of his brilliant career. He finished last season on a high. After helping Ireland to win the 2018 grand slam, Murray was at the heart of a historic series victory in Australia. His rugby was so consistently impressive that, in November, he won the French newspaper Midi Olympique’s World Player of the Year award. Yet Murray was injured throughout the late summer and autumn. After choosing initially not to reveal any details, he was trailed by poisonous gossip which implied that Munster and Ireland might be hiding the results of a failed drugs test or a career-ending injury.
When he returned in the Six Nations, Murray and Johnny Sexton, his half-back partner, were held up as prime examples of why Ireland failed to reach heightened expectations. A shattering home defeat against England on the first weekend was echoed by a frustrating loss against Wales in their final game. Murray’s form came under unprecedented scrutiny.
In contrast to the hysterical rumours that surrounded Murray’s absence, his injury was sparked by an innocuous hiccup. “I took a few bangs against Australia [in the deciding Test last June]. I was a bit sore the next day but nothing that would ring alarm bells. We went to the States, came home and I was fine driving to a wedding. But I had hiccups and felt a muscle go, like a tear. I thought: ‘Gee that’s sore.’ But it died down, I went to the wedding and played golf the next day. Then the second morning I woke up and couldn’t move. My neck was in spasm. The physios agreed the disc was on the edge of slipping and maybe the hiccup shifted it.”
Uncertainty surrounded the injury and Murray decided that “I didn’t want to release anything”. He says: “It was my decision because the medical staff didn’t know how long it would last or what needed to be done. In that window there’s a void and people fill it with gossip. But as long as my family and I, my coaches and teammates, knew exactly what was going on, I was fine.
“It’s the right of the player to withhold whatever he wants but I now think there’s a responsibility, especially at Munster, where rugby means so much. I know how much the season ticket holders pay, so they deserve to know when players will be back.”
When did he hear the wildest rumours? “In that three-week void. WhatsApp groups flicked them all over the country. Even my friends in London or abroad heard rumours and sent them to me. Steroids, a failed drug test or the injury’s so terrible he’s retiring.”
Has it made him more cynical? “Yeah. You have to wonder why people are asking certain questions. But it’s good to be more careful.”
It was hard for Murray to watch Ireland beat the All Blacks in November. “It’s difficult to describe, as a player who could have been involved. It’s horrible. Of course when Jacob [Stockdale] scored, the fan in me was like: ‘Oh my God, what a finish!’ But after the game, watching the lads walking around, I thought: ‘I’d love to be there.’ It’s tough.”
Amid the understandable Irish euphoria, it seemed as if Ireland were the best team in the world. “We were – but it changes so fast. We had an incredible year and lost only one game. But look at England [in 2016]. They won their grand slam, went to Australia and won the series 3-0. Last year they finished fifth in the Six Nations. But they bounced back and have a really good side again.”
How did Murray feel the night before they faced England? “Really good. We had trained well, and were very clear in our plan. We were just a bit flat in the warm-up and conceded two early tries. Suddenly, you’re chasing the game. Wales was similar. We made a bad start. I spoke to Jonathan Davies [the Welsh centre] and he told me: ‘After the first 10 minutes we said we don’t need to play any more rugby. Let Ireland force it.’ It was a difficult day.”
Murray looks determined as he moves beyond these disappointments. “The Six Nations hurt me and the team but we’re mentally strong enough to bounce back. No panic buttons are being pressed even if people want to make it a big thing. We know how good we are. We’ve won 23 out of 26 internationals and the media and public expect us to be at that peak all the time. It’s a compliment because when we are not at that level people panic and say: ‘Is your neck OK?’ I wish I could blame my neck but it had nothing to do with it.”
His game was examined to the point where over-analysis obscured the truth that he was simply returning from a long lay‑off. “Over-analysis is the word. The media often focus on me and Johnny and we got some heat. But you’re never as good or as bad as they make you out to be. The difference between clicking and not clicking is maybe one pass or one ruck that goes wrong. It’s small skills but, in the bigger picture, it’s the difference between a really good or an average international performance. I suppose this Six Nations was the first time Johnny and I suffered a negative twist. But we’re wise enough not to be bothered by it.”
Murray and Sexton, who are good friends, cope with a wearying level of fame in Ireland. “I was 22 at my first World Cup in 2011. I just enjoyed it but after the quarter‑finals, at the airport, Brian O’Driscoll said: ‘Enjoy your new‑found fame – it’s different.’ I was like: ‘What?’ When I came home, I understood. People were noticing me and that took a while to get used to. Some people enjoy it but I don’t really like the attention. You learn to deal with it and, at least in Munster, people just want to talk about rugby.”
He lights up at the prospect of playing Saracens. “I’m really excited and it is a hugely tough game. I missed the semi-final two years ago [which Saracens won] and we got it wrong tactically. We also talk about the semi against Racing last year [which Munster also lost]. There have been four semi-final losses since Munster won it. It’s heartbreaking. That’s what we’ve got to manage this week – because being too emotional is draining.
“Maybe a couple of times, we’ve gone: ‘Oh, my God, we’re in a semi, we need to do this or that.’ We now know to stick with what got us this far. Let the lads be comfortable the way they’re playing. Just train well, have a plan, enjoy it, and give our all. Don’t overthink. I can’t wait. It’s away but there will be more Munster fans. I’ll put my mortgage on it.”
Murray knows many of the Saracens players after the British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand in 2017. “There’s Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, Jamie George, who I’m quite friendly with. He’s a great guy. Great player. Owen, especially, is top class. He’s so good at making the right decision. Against Saracens you have to be aware of their kicking game, their line speed, their big ball carriers. Physically, you have to stand up to Itoje and the Vunipolas.”
After a bruising quarter-final in Edinburgh, Murray felt the strongest he has done since his injury. “It was my most physical game of the year in terms of tackles and rucks. It’s a massive step in the right direction.”
In a week which marks the start of his 10th year as a pro, and the end of his twenties, Murray sounds fulfilled. “I’m really happy how I’ve grown on and off the field. I have learnt lots of new skills as a player and a person. I also appreciate how lucky I am. I’ve always been conscious of older players saying it all went too quickly. So I make sure I enjoy everything. I love training, I love being with the lads. We’ve made lots of memories and I let the achievements soak in. In terms of regrets, I don’t have many. Obviously I would love to have won a few more things at Munster but I’ve got time – starting on Saturday.”
Murray’s black eyes crinkle in anticipation. “That’s far more important than me turning 30.”