Murray keen to break new ground

IRISH SCRUMHALF Conor Murray is looking forward to playing for the first time at Ravenhill when Munster and Ulster put their winning start to the RaboDirect PRO 12 on the line in Belfast tomorrow night. Remarkably, Murray has never played at Ravenhill or Donnybrook but he hopes to correct part of that tomorrow night when he comes off the bench against Ulster.

The fact Ulster and Munster have won both of their opening games adds some early-season spice to this clash but Murray does not see the first Irish derby of the year as a revenge mission for their Heineken Cup quarter-final loss to the Ulstermen. “It hasn’t really been mentioned but people obviously will remember that Ulster knocked us out. We played them a couple of weeks later after that last year. It is in people’s mind but I don’t think it will play that big a part. It is a new season, with a new coach, a lot of new players: it is a new beginning. I don’t think we can dwell on the past unless we end up meeting them in the quarter-final of Europe again,” said the 23-year old.

He is one of three returning Ireland internationals available to new coach Rob Penney and, like Ronan O’Gara and Keith Earls, he will start on the bench in Belfast, having sat out the victories over Edinburgh and Treviso. “I am just itching to get back and be involved again. Hopefully I’ll get off the bench this week and get a bit of a run-out and get the cobwebs out. It has been a bit frustrating watching the lads the last few weeks, playing so well.

“Rob has brought in a different style of play that the lads have adapted well to. You have seen glimpses of it the last few games. It is very promising . . . I can’t wait to get involved with it and see how I cope with that game plan,” said Murray.

Penney has made three changes to the side that defeated Treviso 19-6 at Thomond Park. Wian du Preez is rested, with Dave Kilcoyne coming in at loosehead, while on the other side of the scrum BJ Botha returns in place of Stephen Archer. Donncha O’Callaghan, who missed the game as his second daughter was born at the weekend, returns in place of Dave Foley in the secondrow.

The return of Murray sees Peter Stringer drop to the Munster A team, who play Ulster at Belfast Harlequins tomorrow. Also included in the side is Niall Ronan, who returns for the first time since suffering a serious knee injury in January.

MUNSTER: D Hurley; D Howlett, C Laulala, J Downey, L O’Dea; I Keatley, D Williams; D Kilcoyne, D Varley, BJ Botha; Donncha O’Callaghan, B Holland; Dave O’Callaghan, S Dougall, J Coughlan. Replacements: M Sherry, M Horan, S Archer, D Foley, T O’Donnell, C Murray, R O’Gara, K Earls.

MUNSTER A (v Ulster, Deramore Park, tomorrow, 3pm): S Scanlon; R O’Mahony, D Barnes, JJ Hanrahan, I Dineen; S Deasy, P Stringer; J Cronin, S Henry, C Condon; P Donnellan, B Hayes; N Ronan, B O’Mahony, P Butler. Replacements: D Casey, K Griffin, A Cotter, C O’Flaherty, S Buckley, C Sheridan, C Hircock, C Bohane.