Devout Murray will be missed
Fearsome Scottish prop Euan Murray will miss his team’s crucial World Cup Pool B match against Argentina on Sunday because of his devout Christian beliefs.
Murray refuses to play on Sundays, saying it would go against his religious principles that came to the fore when he was recovering from injury in 2005.
“Euan Murray is discounted because it’s Sunday,” Scotland coach Andy Robinson said of the tighthead prop. “Euan is our best scrummager, but he’s not playing in this game.”
It is not the first time the Glasgow-born Murray has missed a key match, notably sitting out Scotland’s Six Nations opener against France last season.
“I don’t see why there have to be games on Sundays,” Murray has complained. “I hope things will change in future.”
Although he did turn out for the Scots on a Sunday in the 2008 Six Nations, Murray’s faith has deepened to the degree where even his club contracts stipulate no play on the sabbath.
“It’s basically all or nothing, following Jesus. I don’t believe in pick ‘n’ mix Christianity. I believe the bible is the word of God, so who am I to ignore something from it?” Murray said when first openly discussing his faith two years ago.
“I might as well tear out that page then keep tearing out pages as and when it suits me. If I started out like that there would soon be nothing left. I want to live my life believing and doing the things he wants and the sabbath day is a full day.
“It’s not a case of a couple of hours in church then playing rugby or going down the pub, it’s the full day.”
His absence against the vaunted Argentinian front row will be keenly missed, but Scotland scrum coach Massi Cuttitta has insisted that Murray’s refusal to play will not affect the team’s bid to make it three wins on the hoof.
“We have three hookers all at the same level and three tightheads – Murray, Geoff Cross and Moray Low – all as good as each other,” Cuttitta, the former Italy prop, told Scottish media.
“They’ve all been doing well and have been working hard for the team. I’m happy with everyone. We just need consistency. It’s all about getting the confidence and getting better. Hopefully we can take it on a little against Argentina.
“I’d like the pack to do the same thing as they did against Georgia. They destroyed Georgia and Romania in the scrums. We took them on and were really strong. I thought the boys did well,” he said.
Hooker Ross Ford said the Argentinian scrum, along with the French, was unique in world rugby.
“I haven’t come across many countries that scrum the way they do,” Ford said.
“Their props do different things and their looseheads and tightheads have different ways of doing things. They angle in and try and line up a three on two in the front row.”
Argentina prop Martin Scelzo highlighted a battle of the forwards being crucial to the crunch game that will likely decide the Pool B runners-up.
“If we want to win the game, we have to win the forward battle. The key to the game will be there,” Scelzo said.
“Scotland’s forwards are very good and we will have to focus our attention on that part of the game.”
AFP
