Geordan Murphy to retire

totallegend

Geordan Murphy has announced his retirement at the end of the season.

Fair play Geordan, a great career.

And such a technically proficient player, I think he'll make a great coach (it's rumoured he'll be skills coach at Leicester). His book was decent enough too.

rchendz92

Definitely going to be coaching at Leicester, I got talking to a Tigers fan on saturday who'd been talking to him in the exec bar post-match and that's what he said to him. He's been a good servant to Ireland.

irishbucsfan

Yep he's already coaching with them. Very happy there and adored by all.

sydthebeat

was over looked far too often for ireland in my opinion... an exceptionally skilled player and has left me with some great memories.

padser

Great player, incredible that someone can win 72 caps for Ireland (many during a period when playing abroad was definitely a hindrance to getting caps) and still leave many people feeling that he was hard done by in international rugby.

Still 72 international caps, 2 Lions caps, 4 Heineken cup medals (two winning, one as a losing captain), a grand slam (he played in 4 of the 5 games), triple crowns really speaks of an outstanding career.

Incredibly talented player, described as the "George Best of Rugby" by Dean Richards. Really sorry that we wouldn't get to see him play anymore

SebBerkovich

Awesome player, Such a cool head under pressure you wouldn't know if he was playing the H Cup final or just a kick about alway so solid.

locum-motion

padser wrote: »

Great player, incredible that someone can win 72 caps for Ireland (many during a period when playing abroad was definitely a hindrance to getting caps) ...

Don't forget that at the time he was one of two world class FB's we had - IMHO Girve and Geordan were two of the best four FBs Ireland have ever had*. That makes it even more impressive that he managed to amount 72 caps. Girve got 81. If either one of them had been even slightly less than a class act, then one of them would have reached 120+ caps and the other one feck all.







* The other two are Hugo MacNeill and Rob Kearney.

Kristopherus

sydthebeat wrote: »

was over looked far too often for ireland in my opinion... an exceptionally skilled player and has left me with some great memories.

Totally agree. I could never understand why he did'nt get more caps. The conservatism of some of the recent Irish coaches was baffling. In my book, he's up there with the very best.

Buer

10th most capped player in the history of Irish rugby and capped over 11 years. It's difficult to say he should have got many more caps!

thomond2006

Dempsey or Murphy was rugby's equivalent of Oasis or Blur.

- So who do you prefer? Murphy or Dempsey?
- eh...Dempsey!
- WHA?!
- No sorry, Murphy! I mean Murphy!

Father Ted never gets old.

funtime93

Real shame he broke his leg before that world cup.He was in great form at the time and looked to be taking over as Ireland's number one 15.

locum-motion

thomond2006 wrote: »

...Father Ted never gets old.

Well, he can't get any older than he is now, anyway!

DDC1990

"Its a funny game, I enjoy and I think you enjoy"

"Not really"

One of my favourite Murphy memories outside of his Irish career.

sydthebeat

Buer wrote: »

10th most capped player in the history of Irish rugby and capped over 11 years. It's difficult to say he should have got many more caps!

no its not, its quite easy to say actually.

he might be 10th most capped players, but id have him in top 5 most gifted to wear the green.

Podge_irl

Murphy only got as many caps as he did because Dempsey was a better full back.

Murphy was a very talented player and we'll never know what would have happened without that horrific leg injury, but he always looked an awful lot better at club level then international level. His defence, strength in contact and decision making under pressure simply weren't good enough.

padser

Podge_irl wrote: »

Murphy only got as many caps as he did because Dempsey was a better full back.

Murphy was a very talented player and we'll never know what would have happened without that horrific leg injury, but he always looked an awful lot better at club level then international level. His defence, strength in contact and decision making under pressure simply weren't good enough.

I think you really need to qualify what you mean by "simply were not good enough". I'd argue that in all three of those areas he was as good as Kearney and both of those players got Lions caps at full back and both were / are regarded as world class fullbacks at one point in time.

Defence wasn't his strong area but that doesn't change the fact that he was a genuinely world class player (I'd definite world class as having a legitimate claim at any point to be one of the top 5 players worldwide in your position) at least by my definition of world class.

Podge_irl

I don't think Kearney is any better than him. While their technical deficiencies are different neither's last man defence was/is at an acceptable standard.

I truly don't think he was a world class player. He lost the ball too much in contact, had a tendency to throw ridiculous passes and his defence wasn't good enough. He was certainly "mercurial" but that's not always a good thing.

I think he was an exceptional club level full back and a good international level one. He had, despite public perception, a good run at the Ireland 15 jersey (including keeping the shirt after an utterly horrific performance against France in 2006) but ultimately lost out because Dempsey was fundamentally a better full back.

I wish him all the best in his retirement, but I don't have much time for those who think he wasn't given a fair shot.

sydthebeat

I suppose its the risk versus reward analysis.

Those that risk the stakes more get the bigger rewards.

Girvan was more seen as the less risky choice of the two.

Buer

sydthebeat wrote: »

no its not, its quite easy to say actually.

he might be 10th most capped players, but id have him in top 5 most gifted to wear the green.

Eric Miller would be in the same bracket as being a ridiculously talented player and didn't make even 50 caps before retiring at 30 years old. It's just the way it works out sometimes.

There were other great players around at the same time as Murphy. He was incredibly talented but he was never the same after his injury and his error count was simply too high for top level international rugby. He was as likely to do something incredibly costly as was to do something incredibly beneficial. As it stands, over 70 caps is an excellent return.

I think people have a habit of placing him alongside Dempsey and measuring his career only in comparison to Dempsey's. If Girvan Dempsey came on the scene 3 years later than he did, I think he might have only won 50 caps as he wouldn't have been the established player when Murphy arrived and his career also would have clashed with RK more. Murphy's career, viewed in it's own right, is an excellent one and he did extremely well out it.

Rickwellwood

Good Luck to Geordan Murphy in his retirement from club rugby and best wishes to him in his new coaching role - pure class

pajunior

Lewis Moody giving a great interview about Murphy. He was a class act who won as much as anyone.

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/geordan-murphy-retirement-a-fantastic-rugby-player-of-unmatched-ability-899150-May2013/

P_1

Ah the Murphy or Dempsey debate...

It was like having to choose between a Rolls Royce or a Ferrari.

irishbucsfan

I'm just so tired if the Murphy/Dempsey debate. They both would have been the right choice.

It'd be like if Parisse and Read were Irish. There'd be huge debate over which one to pick but you can't really get it wrong.

Teferi

Cracking career, well worth his 70+ caps especially considering he shared the role with a man of the same calibre as himself. Best of luck to him in his coaching career, no doubt he will be a success.

Podge_irl

Is he replacing Matt O'Connor or going into a smaller role first?

CIARAN_BOYLE

Podge_irl wrote: »

Is he replacing Matt O'Connor or going into a smaller role first?

I think he is going to be the skills coach at Leicester next season.

Chavways

P_1 wrote: »

Ah the Murphy or Dempsey debate...

It was like having to choose between a Rolls Royce or a Ferrari.

Which is which in this situation? Girv the Rolls and Geordan the Ferrari?

brinty

Geordan was a true gent
Was coming into his prime before that leg break
I'll never forget his drop goal v scotland in Murrayfield from half way (i might be wrong here!!)
Absolute nonchalant drop he had no right to get

GiftofGab

BOD's described him on twitter as the most skillful player he's ever played with.......says alot about this man. Great career and no doubt he'll make a great coach.

shuffol

Saying Murphy should've won more caps is the same as saying Dempsey should've won less caps and I wouldnt agree with that.

PhatPiggins

Podge_irl wrote: »

I don't think Kearney is any better than him. While their technical deficiencies are different neither's last man defence was/is at an acceptable standard.

I truly don't think he was a world class player. He lost the ball too much in contact, had a tendency to throw ridiculous passes and his defence wasn't good enough. He was certainly "mercurial" but that's not always a good thing.

I think he was an exceptional club level full back and a good international level one. He had, despite public perception, a good run at the Ireland 15 jersey (including keeping the shirt after an utterly horrific performance against France in 2006) but ultimately lost out because Dempsey was fundamentally a better full back.

I wish him all the best in his retirement, but I don't have much time for those who think he wasn't given a fair shot.

Dempsey was fundamentally a better full back at what the Irish 15 was required to do (and largely still does) i.e. catch, hoof and tackle. Ocassioanlly run the ball back.

Between them they would have been the best 15 in living memory