Murray ready for France despite father being injured in road accident
SPOTLIGHT: Ireland scrumhalf Conor Murray is “in good form” and ready to face France in their Six Nations blockbuster on Saturday despite his father suffering serious injuries in a road accident, scrum coach John Fogarty said on Friday.
Murray’s father Gerry was taken to hospital on Tuesday after being hit by a truck near Limerick when riding his bike.
As a result Murray had been a doubt for the game but after consultations with the 101-capped Munster star head coach Andy Farrell selected him in the starting line-up on Thursday.
“He’s [Murray] back in with the group and he’s in good form and he’s looking forward to tomorrow [Saturday],” said Fogarty at a press conference.
“We wish his dad the very best from the squad and a quick recovery.”
Fogarty added he felt Murray was in the right frame of mind to take on the titleholders at Lansdowne Road and there were no plans to let him sit it out.
“Not that I’m aware of,” he said.
“Conor’s good, he’s great, all considered.”
Murray will line-up alongside talismanic Irish flyhalf and captain Johnny Sexton – once arguably the most feared halfback partnership in Test rugby before Murray lost his place to Jamison Gibson-Park.
For France team manager Raphael Ibanez said the 2018 World Player of the Year Sexton surmounts just being the playmaker on the pitch.
The 37-year-old was pivotal to the Irish rising to number one in the world rankings – France are ranked second – including the historic series win over New Zealand last year.
“He’s one of the key players, so much control of the game,” said Ibanez.
“He could be like a player-coach actually.”
#PREVIEW: The Biggest clash of the @SixNationsRugby – @IrishRugby v @FranceRugby
💢 The clash could decide who will claim the silverware at the end of the campaign.#rugby #sports #IREvFRA #SixNations https://t.co/vestwsbX6I— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) February 10, 2023
‘Not far off Hell’
Although Ireland have yet to beat France since Farrell took over as Irish head coach after the 2019 Rugby World Cup Ibanez says his side arrive as underdogs.
“We feel very privileged and honoured to play against the world No.1 team, currently,” he said.
“It’s a big challenge so we come here with the attitude of a challenger.
“We know they’re pretty proud of their fitness, their athleticism, their physicality as well and their good tactics, this is why they deserve their current position in the world ranking.
“They will be ready but we will be ready too.”
France captain Antoine Dupont admitted he could feel the pressure mounting – a scrappy 29-24 win over Italy last Sunday only adding to it.
“The pressure is rising as we know what is at stake in this match,” he said.
“We have evolved together over the past few years as a team and we have already experienced difficult moments under pressure.
“Sometimes we were favourites sometimes they thought we were the underdogs.
“It is imperative that all those experiences strengthen us, that we are ready and we do not lose sight of our ultimate goal, winning the match.”
For Ibanez Lansdowne Road and a passionate home crowd will be intimidating enough even before the whistle goes for the start of the match.
“I do not believe Lansdowne Road is Hell,” he said.
“It is not far off Hell, but also it is not far off paradise either.”
