Conor Murray Earnt his 200th Munster Appearance this weekend

03/31/2025 05:14 AM

In Saturday’s United Rugby Championship Round 14 clash with Connacht at MacHale Park, Castlebar, Conor Murray made his 200th appearance for the province.

From Patrickswell, Co. Limerick, Murray attended St Munchin’s College and was part of the same Munster Schools Rugby Senior Cup squad as former Munster and Ireland teammate Keith Earls. He played his club rugby for Garryowen, before coming up through the Munster Rugby Academy.

He completed his three years at the end of season 2010/11 securing himself a senior contract. It was while he was in the Academy that he made his senior Muster debut as a replacement against Sale Sharks in the 2009 pre-season game in Musgrave Park.

His competitive debut included a very brief appearance as a blood replacement in Galway in the Magners League against Connacht, with his second outing in the Munster shirt a 78th minute replacement against the touring Australians in November 2010.

Just a year later he had established himself as first choice scrum half for Munster and for Ireland, starting for the national side in the World Cup in New Zealand. He then became the regular starter in the Ireland number nine shirt.

Murray’s 2012/13 season ended with a Lions squad inclusion and he featured in seven of the touring games including two of the Test games. His return to Munster that season saw him earn his 50th Munster cap in the Heineken Cup win against Gloucester at Kingsholm in January 2014.

In 2014 he started all five games in Ireland’s successful Six Nations campaign and was one of the side’s stand-out performers throughout the Championship. He brilliantly set up Andrew Trimble for a vital try in the win against France in Paris. He was included in the Ireland squad for the summer tour to Argentina and featured for Ireland in the Guinness Series victories over South Africa and Australia in November 2014. That same year he was named Munster Rugby Player of the Year.

Murray started every game for Ireland in the successful defence of their 6 Nations title. He played in every game for Ireland at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and started every game of the 2016 6 Nations. He was later nominated for the IRUPA Player’s Player of the Year, losing out to his Munster teammate Paul O’Connell.

He was part of the Ireland team that secured two historic victories, one in June 2016 where Ireland won their first ever test against the Springboks on South African soil, as well as in November against the All Blacks. It was there in Chicago were he gave a stellar try-scoring performance for Ireland’s first win over the New Zealand side.

Murray made his 100th Munster appearance in the province’s loss to Scarlets in the 2017 PRO12 final at the Aviva Stadium.

He won selection on his second British and Irish Lions tour, starting all three Tests as the tourists drew the Series against the All Blacks. In scoring a try in the second Test, Murray became the first international player in history to score four tries against the All Blacks, three for Ireland and one for the Lions.

Murray made 16 appearances for Munster in the 2017/18 campaign scoring 41 points and during that season he played a key role in Ireland’s Grand Slam-winning 6 Nations campaign and Summer Series win over Australia. The following season did not start as planned, as he suffered a neck injury, missing the opening months, but returned against Zebre in November 2018. His ability to settle back in quickly to the Munster set up meant he was included in the Ireland squad for the 2019 6 Nations. Murray was included in the Ireland Rugby World Cup squad that travelled to Japan in 2019 and featured in four games.

He made 11 Munster appearances in season 2019/20 and was named in World Rugby’s Team of the Decade, a testament to his consistency and ability to perform at the highest level. The following season he featured in 10 games, making his 150th Munster appearance against Connacht in May 2021.

In 2021 he was selected for a third Lions tour and was named the captain of the touring side for a number of weeks when Alun Wyn Jones suffered a shoulder injury, featuring in three Test matches.

Murray helped Ireland to the Triple Crown in 2022 and a first-ever series win in New Zealand that summer. The scrum-half enjoyed an outstanding 2022/23 season, helping Munster to the URC title and Ireland to a Grand Slam.

He featured in his fourth World Cup in France, 2023, also making 16 appearances for Munster that season.

He was again selected to play for Ireland ahead of the 2024 Six nations and played in both tests against South Africa in the summer of 2024. He was part of the squad for the Autumn Nations Series later that same year, and helped Ireland secure wins against England, Scotland, Italy and Wales in the 2025 Six Nations campaign.

He announced he will depart Munster Rugby at the end of the season.

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