Wexford native Josh Murphy produced a barnstorming display for Connacht in a fantastic match against Munster in Thomand Park on Saturday evening…
Having been out of action for Connacht for a full season on medical placement, playing with Ail side Clontarf, Murphy certainly showed that he was back in the provincial groove.
Smashing players in the tackle, rucking well, working brilliantly around the park and charging around the field like a run away bull, the Enniscorthy man’s performance was monumental.
First up, he was very good with two impressive defensive line out lifts to help disrupt Munster ball on both occasions. He was straight into the tick of things with a nice carry and nice line out take.
Murphy then made a hard as nails carry up the middle taking two to take him down. Back on tackling duty, he smashed Munster No.8 Gavin Coombes in the tackle with a savage hit followed up by a nice hit on second row Wycherly.
He was always rucking well at this stage, securing nice ball with his big frame. It was hard to stop the man making brilliant tackles and he was back at the bruising business, mashing Mike Haley in a massive tackle before again absolutely obliterating Munster hard man and No.8 Gavin Coombes in an astonishing offensive tackle.
Josh then managed a miracle try saving tackle on a ducking Craig Casey, an incredibly hard thing to do for such a unit like Murphy to get down so low on a much smaller man, which led to a goal line drop out and safety for the Connacht line.
The Enniscorthy man then set off on a great sprint up the left wing for about 15 metres on a dangerous Connacht attack.
Late in the half, the Connacht blindside made an aggressive carry which left Munster players struggling to haul him down, which created really quick ruck ball for new Kiwi signing Josh Ioane to sprint through beautifully to connect with scrum half Ben Murphy to dot down for a try.
The Enniscorthy man started off the second half really well with a nice tackle and then resolutely destroying Tom Farrell – a new signing for Musnter from Connacht – in a hefty tackle.
This was followed by a good tackle on Wycherly.
Murphy then, and this was perhaps a Connacht tactic leaving him at times out wide on the left wing, set off on another big rampage dropping the shoulder into Abrahams and taking two men on. Like a dump truck, he then mangled Nankivel in the tackle. Another leads to two men struggling to take him down.
Despite being it Josh’s first game, it was Conor Oliver who was subbed in the back row and Josh actually went on to last the whole game.
The Connacht blindside then led a good maul up the field and soon after he was back on the left wing tearing it up, Galloping forward bouncing Abrahams totally this time, making 10 metres. He was proving a brillaint attacking asset on this wing all game.
At this point, I’d also like to give a special mention to Sam Illo of Enniscorthy who came on a produced a solid scrummaging performance from tight head prop and tackled well.
Murphy had always been a second row option with Connacht and he went in there at this stage to add stability to the scrum.
He later used John Hodnett like a ragdoll in the tackle and finsihed out solidly with a nice lineout take and great ruck physicallity but unfortunately despite his best efforts and an incredibly positive Connacht display in an interprovincial thriller they lost out in the end 33 to 31.
Josh Murphy will be rightly proud of his display from no.6 in what was an unbelievable match for the Enniscorthy man.
Can he produce more momentous displays to force his way into the national set up? We shall see. I hope he does.
I believe he has the calibre to create a pathway into an extended Irish squad within the next few months if he continues to play Rugby as breath-taking as this.
Byron Jones
From Wexford, Byron writes on Wexford lifestyle, history, sports, and nature.