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'The lads know how good he is, and can be, so there's a bit of a buzz around the place'

Joey Carbery is an exciting addition to the Munster mix.

FAMOUSLY, CONOR MURRAY has not played very often with Joey Carbery. However, he has trained with Munster’s new out-half often enough to get excited about the prospect of linking up with him in red.

Carbery and Murray started in tandem as Ireland’s half-backs for the first time in the opening Test of the series against Australia. That game would end in a loss for Ireland, but a steady 57-minute start for the Murray-Carbery axis – that ended with Ireland ahead on the scoreboard – was more than enough to whet the appetite in the southern province for the season ahead.

Certainly, the majority of club and provincial encounters won’t pit the playmakers with quite as ferocious an onslaught as the Wallabies set upon Ireland’s nine and 10 in Brisbane.

“He controlled things really well in that first Test. That game started ferociously, particularly me and him got a few heavy hits and Australia seemed to be putting a lot of pressure on us,” says Murray, taking one last look back on the season past after a week back in training in Fota Island.

“He steered the ship. He is a really good player, a really good fella, 22, he is still really young. There is huge potential there.

“I’ve trained with him an awful lot, played with him a bit, I think that’ll hopefully help him settle in.

The lads know how good he is, and can be, so there’s a bit of a buzz around the place about him coming down, the lads know his potential so they’ll help him as much as they can too.

“Joey’s very confident in his own ability, he’ll have no issues settling in or telling people what to do. I don’t have any fears for him, he’s settled into his role very well, being in this week is very important for him to get to know everyone and we’re living down here for the week, so he’ll take a few steps forward.”

Captain Peter O’Mahony has also been impressed with Carbery’s assurance borne out of precocious talent, though the Corkman challenged the Athy man to keep learning and growing as he has done under Johnny Sexton.

Conor Murray with Joey Carbery Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

“For a guy who is 22, he certainly plays like a guy who is in his late 20s. Doesn’t get flustered, he’s well able to lead a team,” says O’Mahony, who would know.

“He’s got so much more in him, so much more to go… he’s been under Sexton, he’s had a great mentor in him and will continue to do so for a long time hopefully. He’s come around other guys in our squad now who have a lot of experience and who can share a lot of ideas and work well with each other and hopefully, kick us in the one direction.”

While Carbery has been Ireland’s clear second-choice out-half for the past year, he can expect to feel quite a bit of pressure for Munster’s 10 jersey, despite already being christened ‘ROG’ by his international team-mates in Australia. He is one of five out-halves in the southern province and of the quintet, only Bill Johnston is yet to occupy first-choice placing on the carousel, while Ian Keatley, JJ Hanrahan and – if fit – Tyler Bleyendaal will also hope to take hold of the reins.

“The other 10s have their own motivation about what they want to do,” says Murray, “and Keats has been there for a long time, JJ had a strong finish to the season and he’ll be looking to continue that momentum.

“It’s definitely not written down on the team-sheet, those lads have an awful lot to play for, and you need that – a competitive squad, that’s what’s probably let us down (in recent seasons):  we didn’t have the depth we need. (So) that, if someone takes a bang, someone else can step in and really do a job. They’ll be fighting it out.”

CJ Stander, Conor Murray and Peter O'Mahony Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Available exclusively from Life Style Sports, Conor Murray, Peter O’Mahony and CJ Stander were pictured at the launch of the 2018/19 Munster Rugby alternate and European jersey, to join the conversation and discover the design inspiration for the jerseys, follow @lifestylesportsrugby and #LIVEMUNSTER. The jerseys and supporter range are available in Life Style Sports stores nationwide and online with next day delivery from www.lifestylesports.com.  

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    Mute Locojoe
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    Dec 6th 2018, 7:59 AM

    Munster are looking good.!.

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    Mute Batster
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    Dec 7th 2018, 7:38 PM

    @Locojoe: They really are starting to look very good. I’d expect a but win and five points and would fancy them to run Castres close in France.

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    Mute DeShawn Jersey
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    Dec 6th 2018, 10:06 AM

    I see Joey is trying out the new invisible skipping rope. They have it all down in Munster.

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    Mute Con Cussed
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    Dec 6th 2018, 12:13 PM

    @DeShawn Jersey:

    Carbery, “Gee whizz I’m going to be playing next to Conor Murray”
    Murray, “Here we go again”

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    Mute Jim Demps
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    Dec 6th 2018, 9:10 AM

    Should be a pretty strong team picked today. Barring injury at 15 the only number I’m not sure of is 12. He could go with scannell or blyendaal there with the other covering the bench. Looking forward to seeing carbery in the middle of Murray and Farrell. Also looking forward to seeing loughman and what he can do in a big game against a good side. I’d expect a munster win by about 10 points I think.

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    Mute Darren Byrne
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    Dec 6th 2018, 9:35 AM

    @Jim Demps: Loughman is a good losehead he just wasn’t going to make it as a tighthead. He was right to leave, now with Cronin being injured he has a real chance to progress his career. Just hope he doesn’t end up going to the world cup with the US as that would rule him out long term for Munster.

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    Mute Johnny 5
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    Dec 6th 2018, 9:35 AM

    @Jim Demps: Scannell starts. He might not be that highly rated, but in the last 3/4 years he has made that 12 jersey his own under successive coaches.

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    Mute Jim Demps
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    Dec 6th 2018, 10:32 AM

    @Darren Byrne: I dont think loughman will be lining out for the states. He must be firmly on the radar of the Irish management for the future given that Healy, McGrath, kilcoyne and cronin are all in and around the same age and around the 30 mark now

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    Mute Gibson O Driscoll
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    Dec 6th 2018, 11:56 PM

    @Jim Demps: guessing Blyendaal on bench to cover 12, Scannell to start( left foot), team kinda picks itself after that. Butterflies starting, can see Murray Carbery axis being what has been missing. Leinster have Jonnie, but Conor and Joey trump even him. 3 more sleeps.

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    Mute Paul O'Connor
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    Dec 6th 2018, 8:32 PM

    There’s a Heineken cup or two in this young and developing squad.

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    Mute Bungee Aky
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    Dec 7th 2018, 12:01 AM

    @Paul O’Connor: naw, nobody is going to beat Leinster this side of the World Cup in France.

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    Mute retsnuM
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    Dec 6th 2018, 9:07 AM

    2nd row selection will be interesting in the absence of Jean Kleyn.

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    Mute Johnny 5
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    Dec 6th 2018, 9:33 AM

    @retsnuM: Surely Holland comes in and Wycherley takes the bench spot, as he seems to have jumped O’Shea in the pecking. In terms of locks we are a little light. DOC2 could cover but he is injured, maybe POM can cover in a crisis. Definitely an area we need more depth.

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    Mute Niall Collins
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    Dec 6th 2018, 10:23 AM

    @Johnny 5: well there is a certain Tipperary man out of contract in Paris this summer…

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    Mute Glenbower
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    Dec 6th 2018, 10:51 AM

    @Johnny 5: I agree re Holland and Wycherley but I seem to remember that O’Shea looked good recently – including in the heavy going in Zebre, I think. I really hope that he develops into Munster’s Devin Toner – he’s only an inch shorter that Dev, is still only 25 (26 next week) and has good players and coaches to learn from. Maybe uber-tall players take a bit longer to develop. As we know, 6-9 / 6-10 comfort blankets are very handy in the line-out for provinces and Ireland.

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    Mute Johnny 5
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    Dec 6th 2018, 11:39 AM

    @Glenbower: I don’t doubt it’s possible and he has all the physical attibutes required, but he is back 2 years and looks like he is moving backwards in the pecking order. It’s not like lock is very competitive spot for Munster at the moment. He is competing with Holland (33 and without the physical attibutes to be top level lock) and Wycherley (only 20), O’Shea should really be pushing on and playing games if he is going to make it.

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    Mute Johnny 5
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    Dec 6th 2018, 11:48 AM

    @Niall Collins: that would be great, but considering we couldn’t afford to keep him 2 years ago, and he has spent the last 2 years tearing up trees in Paris it’s hard to imagine him coming back. Plus the carrot of playing for Ireland at the RWC isn’t even guaranteed if he returned with the emergence of James Ryan and Beirne since he left

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    Mute Gibson O Driscoll
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    Dec 6th 2018, 11:59 PM

    @retsnuM: Big Billy & Tadgh

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    Mute Simon Clarke
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    Dec 6th 2018, 1:40 PM

    Looking forward to this pairing. Suspect Cooney – Carbery might make for a fine combination as well though.

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