John O'Sullivanmeets the versatile Irish player who has made quite an impact at Welford Road since joining as an Academy player five years ago
JOHNE MURPHY is preparing for a fifth season with the Leicester Tigers with clearly defined goals at club level. He’s excelled in pre-season matches but knows that despite being a respected and valued figure at Welford Road the competition for places will be as intense as ever.
Summer brought the latest influx of new arrivals, including Anthony Allen, James Grindal, Jeff Parling, Billy Twelvetrees and Murphy’s fellow Irishman Jeremy Staunton; the latter has settled quickly since his arrival from Wasps. There is a suggestion that former French international fullback Nicolas Jeanjean, currently on trial, will also be recruited.
Injuries to Geordan Murphy (he is recovering from a double hernia operation and won’t be back for a few weeks) and Alesana Tuilagi (broken foot) have seen Murphy switch between wing and fullback in the pre-season fare.
His versatility – he can also play centre – has seen him thrive in a fiercely competitive environment from the moment he accepted a trial at the English club five seasons ago, an arrangement facilitated by his fellow Kildare man Geordan Murphy.
Johne Murphy explained: “I suppose I first came to their attention when playing for the Leinster Academy against the Leicester Tigers Academy and with Geordie’s support managed to get a three-week trial with the Tigers.
“My first match was an A league game against Newcastle and I managed to score a try. They signed me up and now I am going into my fifth season. My first year at the club was pretty much a write-off as I tore my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in my knee and was out for the season.
“The following year I started as a squad player yet ended up playing 19 matches. Leicester got to three finals, including losing the Heineken Cup decider to Wasps. I think I started all but five matches the season before last, including playing a fair bit at fullback when Geordan was out with Achilles trouble.
“Last season I would have been in the match 22 but on the bench prior to Christmas before getting into the team on a more consistent basis. I suppose the highlight and lowlight came in the one match, the Heineken Cup semi-final against Cardiff.
“I played well in the match, just missed with a snap drop goal that could have won it but then I missed my shot at goal in the penalty shoot-out – but thankfully I was rescued by subsequent events.
“It was definitely a rollercoaster afternoon. Everyone in Ireland knows how the Heineken Cup final went.
“We managed to win the Guinness Premiership final but again, it was a bittersweet occasion on a personal level. I rolled my ankle when standing on a water bottle in the warm-up and was then forced off with a shoulder injury after 25 minutes.”
Murphy lives in the heart of the city of Leicester and concedes he embraced the lifestyle from virtually the first day.
“I stayed with Dan Hipkiss originally and then moved in with Geordie and then got an apartment with Humphs (Ian Humphreys).
“I finally dipped into the property market when five players bought houses next to each other in a new development and I now have Castro (Martin Castrogiovanni) as a tenant.
“It may be something of a cliché but there is a real family atmosphere at Leicester. Players look out for one another and from the moment you arrive, you’re included, whether invited round to houses for meals, going for a drink or to the cinema.
“Anyway since I’ve been here I have never been too far away from an Irish accent.
“It’s fair to say that I can walk down the street without anyone recognising me: that only happens if I am with people like Geordie, Castro or Lewis Moody. Leicester is a small city, a bit like Galway.
“The older players live in beautiful villages in the shire part of Leicester. Driving out to meet them reminds me of home with the golden fields of wheat.
“At the end of last season I signed my fifth one-year contract and I’m certainly happy where I am. I have just got a little bulldog puppy and he’s certainly a handful.”
Murphy was an integral part of Ireland’s Churchill Cup triumph during the summer and that along with being included in a senior national squad minus Ireland’s Lions players recently has whetted his appetite for the Test arena.
“To beat England in the manner in which he did in the Churchill Cup was representative of how seriously we prepared for the tournament. It was a great squad to be involved in and I would like to think that I benefited as a player.
“After it finished about 10 or 12 of us went to Las Vegas on holiday and it was brilliant.
“It’s fair to say that there aren’t any poker sharks in the making but one or two boys enjoyed a nice windfall at the roulette. It was a real boost to be included in the Ireland training squad and I’d hope that if I play well in the coming months that I can press to be included again.”
