E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly Version 
Subscribe to RSS FeedMurphy far from bitter
Answered Call: Geordan Murphy is back in the swing of things
Rumours that Geordan Murphy had parted company with the Ireland squad in a huff over non-selection left the amicable Leicester Tigers star at a loss for words.
Whilst admitting that his omission from the match-day squad for last week's encounter with France was disappointing, Murphy swears that he never once thought about staging a walk-out.
"I don't know where it all came from, to be honest," Murphy told reporters in Bordeaux on Tuesday.
"The first I heard of it, I was having dinner last Monday and someone sort of pulled me aside and said that they'd heard that I was heading home or whatever.
"Obviously, there was no truth in that whatsoever so I didn't take it too seriously at the time.
"I just thought it was a silly rumour, but when I got back to my room I'd quite a few texts and missed calls, with people saying stuff like, 'what are you doing?'
"So, then, I had to assure people that I was still in the team hotel and I hadn't gone anywhere!
"I wouldn't do something like that. It's a team sport. Obviously, I was disappointed but everyone in the 30-man squad feels that they can add something to the team. So, you're always disappointed when you get left out.
"But I just wouldn't throw the toys out of the pram and walk out on the guys in a tournament like this."
A recent injury to Girvan Dempsey, Murphy's long-standing rival for the green number fifteen jersey, means that the Leicester star gets the start he has been looking for - and it comes in arguably Ireland's biggest ever game.
The Irish have it all to do when the square up to the high-flying Argentinians at Parc des Princes on Sunday.
Taking a French win over Georgia on the same day as a given, the men in green must score four tries and deny the Pumas a losing bonus-point to progress to the play-offs; anything less from the Irish and their campaign will be over.
But Murphy is of the belief that good things come to those that wait, and the gifted gambreaker is determined to enjoy his moment in the spotlight.
"There are many emotions that you feel going into a game like this at the weekend but I'll be just very pleased to be getting a start," he said.
"Everyone knows what happened to me at the last World Cup [he sustained a broken leg on the eve of the tournament] and this hasn't been a successful World Cup for me either, so I'm just looking forward to having a run on Sunday.
"I'm back in the side this week because Girvan's injured. It's a horrible thing to say but I'm happy to be starting.
"I'm obviously disappointed for him but it gives me a shot. It's a massive game for us.
"There's a lot of pressure, both from an individual point of view and a team point of view. We've got a massive mountain to climb but at least we have a target I suppose in that we know what we have to do.
"But we can't go out and try to get four tries from the beginning. We have to go out and try to build a lead.
"Most of the guys have been involved in games before where you have to get a bonus point and the way that works is going out and getting a lead.
"If you can get an early try, that's great because then you start working on the second try. But it's only when you get to the last 20 minutes that the bonus point becomes a real issue."
