For consistency, Murray is your man
CONOR MURRAY is without peers in the pantheon of great Lions scrum-halves – even the great Gareth Edwards, according to his former Munster coach Ian Costello.
From Edwards’ rifled reverse pass for Phil Bennett’s drop-goal in the record third Test win over South Africa in ’74, to Matt Dawson’s dummied pass and try in the ’97 series win over the Boks, some of the Lions’ most iconic moments have come from the No.9s.
But in terms of all-round scrum-halves to have worn the red jersey, Costello believes Murray tops the lot after his superb performances out in New Zealand.
Costello said: “Yes, the other guys had highlights and were all world-class players, but give me the guy that, every single time he goes out on the pitch, delivers 90 per cent plus on all fundamentals – his running, passing and kicking game and his tackle dominance. Then, as a bonus, you’ve got his game understanding and composure.
“I think he’d blow the others away in terms of the consistency of his actions over the course of a whole series. I don’t think we’ve ever seen a more rounded scrum-half.”
Costello, now in his second year as head coach of Nottingham, spent six years coaching Murray, right, at Munster and knew from the start that he was working with someone special.
Murray’s rise from second-tier British & Irish Cup rugby to British and Irish Lions star in such a short time-frame comes as no surprise to him.
“Conor’s development was pretty rapid in that he went from playing A team rugby to European Cup rugby and then Ireland in the same season (2010/11),” Cstello pointed out.
“But the fundamentals we’ve talked about were at a very advanced level even when he was playing U20s.
“His personality is very calm, assured and smart, so that meant when he was given a chance at senior level he took it with both hands and he’s never looked back.
“I didn’t see him do anything in the Lions series that he hasn’t done for the last two years for Munster and Ireland,” Costello added.
“I think the regard the coaches hold him in showed in the third Test when, at the end of a long season, everyone was very surprised he was taken off for Rhys Webb with about eight minutes to go. That is the measure of how integral he is to all the teams he plays for – Munster, Ireland and now the Lions. “In the last couple of years some people have questioned the pace of his pass but he passes the ball two metres further than most scrum-halves in the world. And he can pass the ball with one hand off the deck using just his wrist as well as most top-class scrum-halves can pass with two. “He has such a wristy pass that it is very hard to knock him off his stride. As a result, he barely makes a mistake at the base of a ruck. “He is unquestionably the best kicker in the world. His kicks are pressure-relieving because they go eight to ten metres further than anyone else’s. That is so valuable because it dictates where you play the game.
“He is also an incredibly powerful defender; he poaches the ball and makes a lot of hits. Traditionally a lot of nines are in the second line in defence, but he is constantly looking to get in the front line and make big tackles; he has been doing that since he was 18.
“And the way he took his try in the second Test was an example of how he is able to read situations and instinctively react to them on the field.For me, he’d be one of the first names down on any team sheet.
“On top of all that, he is incredibly humble; you would never know spending time with him that he is one of the best players in the world. His attitude hasn’t changed one bit.”