Casey Hails Murray’s Influence Ahead Of Cork Send-Off
Conor Murray and Craig Casey celebrate together following Munster's 30-28 bonus point win over Ulster at Thomond Park last weekend ©INPHO/James Crombie
Craig Casey has credited Conor Murray with helping him to become a better player, as Munster’s double-centurion scrum half prepares to play his final home match for the province in Cork on Friday night.
Murray is set to make his 205th senior appearance for Munster who host Benetton in a vital BKT United Rugby Championship clash, which will decide whether they make the league play-offs, and also qualify for next season’s Investec Champions Cup.
The much-decorated Ireland international is leaving his home province to pursue a playing opportunity abroad, and Casey, who has got to know Murray very well these last few years, is determined to send him off on a high.
“I’ve the utmost respect for Conor Murray. I’ve said this from the moment I came into the (Munster) Academy that he’s helped me drastically with any questions I’ve had,” said Casey, speaking as Irish brand C11 Recovery was announced as Official Recovery Partner to Munster Rugby.
“Game management and kicking game are the two things I probably went to him most for when I came out of school, and he’s helped me massively with them.
“He’s one of my good mates now, to be honest. We’ve been feisty with each other, we’ve been competitive, but it’s been a good competitiveness.
“So the career he’s had is something that I’d absolutely love to go on and try to do the things that he’s done. I’ve utmost respect for that man. I’ll be delighted to see him off.”
Murray made his Munster debut back in 2010, on the eve of Casey’s 11th birthday, but their careers have overlapped at senior level for the last six years. Casey joined him in the Ireland squad in 2021, and is set win his 100th Munster cap this weekend.
Undoubtedly one of the best players in Munster Rugby history, he has maintained exceptionally high standards across his 15 years at the province. He memorably burst onto the international scene as a Rugby World Cup bolter in 2011.
The Patrickswell man has won two league titles with Munster and was their Player of the Year in 2014. His stellar performances in the Test arena saw him win the Six Nations five times with Ireland, and tour with the British & Irish Lions on three occasions.
He won his 100th Ireland cap during the November 2022 win over South Africa, and played in 25 more Tests since then, taking his try haul to 19 in the process.
Selected in the World Rugby Men’s 15s Team of the Decade (2010-2019), he has been part of some of Irish Rugby’s greatest days, as a two-time Grand Slam winner, and a try scorer against New Zealand in Soldier Field over eight years ago.
Casey has clearly enjoyed duelling it out with his fellow Limerick native for selection with both province and country. They were a crucial scrum-half tandem for Munster during those knockout wins on the road in 2023, which famously led to URC glory in Cape Town.
The pair, with 10 years between them, teamed up in green last summer as Ireland bounced back to draw an epic series with World champions South Africa.
Casey started and played 64 minutes of the first Test defeat in Pretoria, before Murray wore the number 9 shirt in Durban, scoring a try for the second week running as Andy Farrell’s men went on to claim a thrilling 25-24 victory.
Casey has usurped Murray as Munster’s starting number 9 these last few years, making 40 starts in the last three seasons compared to the veteran rival’s 17. As the pair get ready to run out together on Leeside for the last time, it is safe to say the Shannon clubman has learned from the best.
Hailing Murray’s influence on his own game and his progress as a player, he noted: “I think I’ll always be connected with him and bouncing things off him, no matter if he’s in the building or not.
“I’ve kind of got that relationship with him now over the last four years that I could definitely ring him up once he’s gone and ask him a few questions, and he’d be happy to help me out.
“It’s his last few months in the building so try and get as much out of him as I possibly can over these next few weeks, but I’d say I had him driven demented for the first few years of my career so I’ve kind of eased off the last few!
“I’ve become a way better player from working with him. I think the calmness piece is probably the thing, like, nothing really fazes him, to be honest.
“I’d love to have the frame he has and be like an extra back row and make tackles like he does, but I don’t think I’m anywhere near that.
“But the calmness piece and the game management is probably somewhere I went hard at him there, and he’s given me all the answers he could.”
Meanwhile, Munster defence coach Denis Leamy has likened Friday’s showdown with Benetton to a ‘cup final’, such is the battle for the last three quarter-final places. Five teams remain in the hunt – the Scarlets, Benetton, Munster, Cardiff, and Edinburgh.
Currently occupying eighth place, the Munstermen are level on 46 points with both Benetton above them, and Cardiff below them. It leaves little or no margin for error at Virgin Media Park on Friday (kick-off 8pm), and Casey is expecting a big battle with the in-form Italian outfit.
“The mood in the camp is really good. It’s always good to come back into training after a win, especially when it’s an interpro win (38-20 against Ulster).
“It’s a higher level of buzz and you can ride that wave and bring that into the next game. But we’re under no illusions as to how tough this week is going to be.
“Benetton are a quality side and they had an unbelievable win last weekend against Glasgow. They will be coming into this game full of life and energy.
“I know their head coach (Marco Bortolami) is leaving at the end of the season so I can imagine they are going to try and send him off on a high, but we know exactly what we have to do. We’re buzzing for it now with it being a sell-out in Cork,” he added.