EUAN MURRAY: John O'Sullivantalks to the Scotland prop who has resolved the conflict between the demands of Christian worship and a career as a rugby professional

EUAN MURRAY attempted to tackle Anthony Horgan and was knocked unconscious in the process. The collision between the two players was defined by Horgan’s knee catching the then Glasgow prop in the temple, a harsh penalty for the mistimed tackle.

Horgan was completely blameless in what was an unfortunate accident but that thought wouldn’t have been especially consoling at that moment as he watched the 18-and-a-half stone Murray begin to twitch uncontrollably.

The prompt action of the Glasgow medical team initially stabilised the situation but as one Munster player recalled when Murray came to he had no idea of where he was and tried to fend off the attention with his fists. As he was being escorted from the pitch Murray collapsed and went into seizure.

The legacy of the incident was to have a remarkable effect, life-changing in the truest sense of the phrase. The physical ramifications were a two-month lay-off following a diagnosis of severe concussion, a condition exacerbated by lingering symptoms of vertigo.

But it was the balance in Murray’s life that was to alter even more dramatically.

The enforced sabbatical from rugby allowed Murray time for a little introspection, the upshot of which was a reconnection with the religious faith that had lain dormant since childhood. Chronicling a sequence of events that took place in and around a Magners League match in 2005 represents a starting point for any graph evaluating Murray’s development into a player many believe will be the cornerstone of the Lions pack in South Africa this summer.

AT 28 YEARS of age he has just signed a three-year extension to his contract with Northampton Saints and today at Murrayfield will be an integral part of a Scotland’s hopes of destabilising Irish ambition in this season’s Six Nations Championship.

He’s come a long way from an injury-prone talent – one that briefly considered giving up the sport after neck, shoulder and ankle problems – a metamorphosis that can be traced, no matter how coincidental to moving religion from the wing to the frontrow of his life.

“For about a month after it happened I had problems with my balance and at one stage I thought I was going to have to retire. That was 2005 going into 2006. I’d had a really awful run of injuries, I was falling apart at the seams. My team-mates used to say, ‘you know you’re problem? Your body is rotten’. They were right.

“At times I was very low. What the seizure made me realise is that life is short so I started to question things. I had many questions. Like, what are we here for? And where am I going when I die? And then I started reading the Bible and then after quite a long time my life was transformed and it wasn’t me that did it, it was Jesus Christ that did it.

“I was brought up going to church, so I always kind of believed: but now I believe wholeheartedly. I believe in Jesus Christ and that’s what keeps me going. In professional sport you can get drawn into things quite easily. You’ve got a bit of money, a bit of free time and you’re in the limelight. I just wasn’t happy with myself. I felt I was living an immoral lifestyle.”

A QUALIFIED VET and accomplished piano player don’t exactly scream “tearaway”. Murray rejected the notion that it was his and not God’s doing that changed the course of his life; that in applying himself diligently he affected the transformation.

“There was my life away from rugby and there was my life in rugby. When I became a Christian my life away from rugby changed hugely. I went to church, I looked after myself more, I used my time better, I prayed. I prayed about my rugby and asked whether or not I should stay in the game. I stayed and the following season the doors suddenly opened. I got a regular place in the Scotland team and things have been good ever since. Over the last few years I’ve found out what a Christian should be. A Christian should be the hardest worker of all.

“Rugby was where I found myself. I’ve been blessed with a load of talents that I have to use to the best of my abilities. The biggest thing now is I’m much happier and at peace with things that are going on in my life.”

His testimony is borne out by the fact he played tighthead prop in 24 of the following 25 internationals for Scotland beginning with the November Test against Romania in 2006. The intricacies of frontrow grappling remain a mystery to most but among the cognoscenti there is unanimity in acclaiming Murray’s ability.

After all it is not often that a prop wins the man-of-the-match accolade but he did so last November against world champions South Africa while taming his direct opponent Tendai Mtawarira, whose propping credibility is enhanced by the nickname, “Beast”. He also manhandled All Black Jamie “The Whopper” Mackintosh and on his return after injury, which forced him to miss the Six Nations defeats to Wales and France, he was a central figure in asserting Scottish dominance against the highly-regarded Italian scrum.

Murray’s power, aggression and physicality in an arena where turning the other cheek metaphorically would be seen as a fatal weakness, suggests an obvious conflict with his Christian values. He is able to rationalise the transformation that takes place on the other side of the whitewash by analysing the matter theologically.

“People have a misconception of what God is like. The image is of a benevolent old grandfather, and the Bible does say that God is love. But he’s also a God of justice and wrath and you just have to look at the life of Jesus and you will see that at times he was aggressive. So while I play rugby as an aggressive sport, there’s nothing wrong with aggression so long as it’s not malevolent. I can go and tackle someone as hard as I possibly can, but that doesn’t mean to say I hate the guy.

“I don’t fake anything when I play. I go out to do things to the best of my abilities and I have to be as aggressive as I possibly can and hit people as hard as I possibly can. But I’m not interested in sledging or trying to belittle people. Actions speak louder than words.”

IT IS NOT the only conflict between the demands of Christian worship and a career as a rugby professional. There is also an issue of playing on Sundays. Former New Zealand legend Michael Jones refused to do so. Murray champions the right of choice for the individual but concedes it is a decision over which he has agonised.

The choice would have been crystallised on the opening weekend of this season’s Six Nations but an injury kept the Scot out of the game against Wales at Murrayfield on the Sunday. “This is my stance on it. In the past, in the distant past and in the recent past, rugby players and other athletes who are Christians haven’t played on Sundays.

“I’m aware of Christians who don’t compete on Sundays and there are Christians who do compete on Sundays and currently I’m competing on Sundays. That’s what it is. Currently, I’m competing. It would be fair to say that this is something all Christians wrestle with.”

Today he will be preoccupied by less abstract obstacles. Ireland arrive in Edinburgh clutching three victories from as many starts and trying to ignore the elephant in the room; namely a potential grand slam.

The Scots are on their own mission. Criticised for their opening two performances in the defeats against Wales and France that followed some promising displays in the November Test series, Scotland beat Italy in a dull and uninspiring match. At least that’s the perspective outside the Scottish camp. Murray was not about to denigrate a first win in the tournament this season by becoming rather sniffy about its aesthetic quality.

“Beating Italy by 20 points was hugely encouraging and hopefully we’ve given ourselves something to build on. It was, as we expected, a very physical contest and I was pleased with how we dealt with things. The set-piece went well and a lot of positives can be carried forward. The pack stuck together and achieved the common goal. I was exhausted at the end of the match and my three weeks off obviously had a bit of an impact on my match fitness.”

MURRAY HAS enthusiastically embraced challenges in recent seasons and will view the arrival of Ireland’s loosehead Marcus Horan as another personal battle to win, although he preferred to view the frontrow skirmishes as a collective thing. “Their (the Irish) props are different to the Italians but equally good. All frontrow men pose different problems and you answer that challenge.”

The Six Nations is winding its way to a conclusion over the next seven days starting this afternoon. The priority for Murray will be Scotland but he is well aware the Test matches today and next Saturday resemble mini-trials for Lions selection; an opportunity to showcase a supremacy over a rival. That should galvanise the competitive juices of a man who aspires to be the best in honour of his faith. He couldn’t have a more appropriate backdrop today: “Murray-field”.

“When I became a Christian my life away from rugby changed hugely. I went to church, I looked after myself more, I used my time better, I prayed. I prayed about my rugby and asked whether or not I should stay in the game. I stayed and the following season the doors suddenly opened