Page 54 - All Blacks v Lions - First Test

Murray was key to the Lions’ win over the Crusaders earlier in the tour
‘Let’s really take life for what it is and enjoy every day.’ Little things don’t stress me any more. It’s had a profound impact.”
Murray has also matured impressively as a player since his Munster debut in 2010 and earning his rst cap for Ireland in 2011 at the age of 22. His rst Test start came against the USA in New Plymouth at the Rugby World Cup that same year, and he has now made 57 appearances for his country and scored 10 tries. His rst Test ve-pointer came against New Zealand at Christchurch in 2012 and, as All Black supporters will need little reminding, he was also among the crucial try-scorers in Chicago.
Knowing what it feels like to be part of a victorious Lions squad in Australia has also done no harm on this trip. “You can take a certain amount of con dence from four years ago. It was my rst Lions tour and I didn’t know what to expect of it or myself. But I loved it, lapped it up and really enjoyed the experience. This time round I do have a different outlook on where I want to be. I think it’s okay to say you want to be the Test starter, that you want to play in the Tests, because they’re the games that are remembered.”
The Lions have felt anticipation levels rising all week as more and more Lions fans have arrived ahead of the Test. “We’ve noticed it big time,” Murray con rms.
“We saw Rotorua ll up last weekend and you can hear them shouting outside the hotel at night time, chanting ‘Lions, Lions.’ It’s good momentum and the buzz is good. We’re in a good place.”
Underpinning that optimism is the knowledge he’ll be operating behind a pack that has successfully squeezed the Crusaders and the Maori on successive Saturdays. “They make it easier. They lay the platform, put you on the front foot and make the basics of your game look a bit better because there’s not as much pressure on you. The maul, the scrum and the set piece were really good last weekend and that’s something we’ve got to keep building on. There are an awful lot of good players around us so it’s making our lives a bit easier. I think this squad is massively talented.”
Maybe it’s asking too much to expect an exact Chicago rerun, but these Lions will de nitely be calling on Murray’s personal experience. “It’s great to know it can be done if you play well enough and you do the right things,” he says. “That’s certainly something I would personally draw from when looking to play against the All Blacks. It’s not going to be our game plan or blueprint to beat the All Blacks, but it’s going to give every player from every other nation a bit of hope.”
Against these particular opponents, genuine hope is a priceless commodity. All the
best Lions sides have had a top-class halfback driving them on – the great Gareth Edwards in New Zealand in 1971 being the most obvious example – and they happen to have one again now. Rare is the big game nowadays when a t and ring Murray
does not deliver.
SERIES WIN FOR THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
57 CAPS FOR 2IRELAND
SIX NATIONS TITLES
2 TEST CAPS FOR THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
6 TESTS AGAINST THE ALL BLACKS
9 APPEARANCES (TEST & NON-TEST) FOR THE BRITISH &
1IRISH LIONS
WIN AGAINST THE ALL BLACKS
2 TRIES FOR THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS (TEST & NON-TEST)
10 TRIES FOR IRELAND
CONOR MURRAY BY THE NUMBERS
44 // OFFICIAL SOUVENIR PROGRAMME
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