Murphy can patch us up, says Youngs
Captain wants Irishman to have permanent shot Leicester legend admits position is a ‘dream job’
Leicester captain Tom Youngs has made an impassioned plea for Geordan Murphy to be considered as the permanent head coach at the club, describing him as “a gem … the guy to patch up the ship and steer it in the right direction”.
Murphy himself, who has been at the club for 20 years as player and assistant coach, said the prospect of taking over was “a dream job” although he acknowledged “it was a double-edged sword” to step up to replace a man he regarded as a friend, Matt O’connor, who was dramatically sacked on Monday evening after just one game of the season.
There is little doubt that Murphy is the man that everyone at Leicester wants to succeed. The Daily Telegraph understands that the Leicester board were keen to secure the services of a man who has had approaches from elsewhere and believe that the former British and Irish Lions and Ireland fullback has the unique skills to restore Tigers to their pre-eminent status.
Murphy was given little time to mull over the interim job offer, taking a call from Tigers’ chief executive, Simon Cohen, at 5.30pm on Monday as he was helping organise Leicester’s second XV for a match against Northampton at Loughborough University.
“It was a bit of a strange one,” said Murphy. “We were trying to prepare for an A team game and we had a meeting at six. It was a tough decision. I consider Matt [O’connor] a friend. It’s a double-edged sword. Obviously, a dream of mine would have been to be in this seat and to be able to help Tigers, but not at the expense of [someone else]. So it’s a tough one.”
There are no such qualms in the eyes of Youngs, who acknowledges that Leicester, who last won the league six years ago, have been underperforming for too long.
“It is about time we got it right,” said Youngs, mindful that the club have churned their way through several coaches in the past two years alone. “We’ve gone this way and that way, but you can fall upon a gem sometimes and Geordie is that kind of person. Like me, his second family is Leicester Tigers. He absolutely loves the club. He is the guy to patch the old ship up again and steer it in the right direction. If they were going to bring in just some random person, I’d feel different about it. Giving the role to Geordie, I think it’s the right choice. ”
Murphy, 40, has been given no guarantees about timescales although there is no intention, as things stand, for the Leicester board to go headhunting or invite applications.
The post is for Murphy to fill and make his own. It is not as if he is a novice in a tracksuit, having spent six years on the coaching staff.
Murphy’s most pressing immediate task is to ensure that Monday’s stunning turn of events does not have a negative impact on a squad already shell-shocked from the manner of their opening day 40-6 defeat by Exeter Chiefs.
There is something of a pointed irony in Murphy’s opposite number for Saturday’s home game being Newcastle Falcons’ Dean Richards, an icon during his days at Welford Road as player and then director of rugby who was still shown the door in 2004.
Dublin-born Murphy, who won eight league titles and two European Cups himself at Leicester, admits that the club’s blood flows deep within him, having been taken on as a teenager. There are no plans, at this stage, to approach his former team-mate for help even if Tigers’ plight resonates.
“Every time we lose it really hurts to the bone,” said Murphy. “I want to do the best job I can do for the club and see what happens. I feel hugely indebted to Leicester. They gave me an opportunity when I didn’t have one in Ireland. I want to repay their loyalty, to try and make the club successful again.”