CONTACT NOW KEY
O’gara warns Murray needs to get physical
CONOR MURRAY must prove he can take the knocks next Monday if he’s to have any chance of cutting down the All Blacks again.
So says Ronan O’gara, who doubts that the Munster scrum-half will be able to start his season with a game against the world champions.
Murray hasn’t played since Ireland’s third Test against Australia in Sydney last June, thanks to a neck injury.
He’s trained over the past few weeks but has yet to take part in any full contact stuff.
With just 16 days to go before the visit of New Zealand to Aviva Stadium, O’gara says his former team-mate is short on time.
“I can’t see how his first game would be the All Blacks game,” said the Munster legend.
“I’d say in his own head he’d probably like two games before he’s playing them. He’s been out a long time... he needs to be playing.
“If he starts next Monday as a full week, that’s still two weeks, that’s easy to do – if he was able to do full contact
ARONAN O’GARA says Joe Schmidt has changed how the world views the Ireland team.
The Crusaders head coach is full of praise for the Kiwi, and says Ireland won’t find anyone as good to replace him, if and when he leaves the on Monday.”
Should Murray not make it, Joe Schmidt will choose from Kieran Marmion, Luke Mcgrath and John Cooney to wear the No 9 shirt.
Marmion has more caps than the other pair combined, but O’gara feels the understudy role is up for grabs.
“I saw Luke Mcgrath playing for Leinster live and I thought he was very good,” he said.
“Kieran Marmion, when he’s played for Ireland, has been very good. I haven’t seen enough of his Connacht form to comment accurately on it.
“In fairness to Cooney, he’s driven Ulster to wherever Ulster have got to. I don’t know where that is, exactly, but he’s been very good on probably an average team, at best.
“When Conor is there he’s probably on a par with Johnny (Sexton) and, when Joey (Carbery) plays, Conor would be the senior partner. But for the other 9s, it’s a case of ‘how will they help their 10?’.
“I don’t see much of a pecking order, who is second, who is fourth. I’d say it’s all to play for.” role he’s held since 2013.
“It doesn’t matter where you are from
– get the best people, and players will be inspired to perform like they have under Joe,” O’gara (inset) said. “But I don’t think there is another Joe out there.
“We have to acknowledge the job he has done – we are respected around the world, and rightly so as they are consistently producing.”