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Murray says Ireland squad frustrated and annoyed with Georgian display

Conor Murray says there's a determination among the Ireland squad to set the record straight afte...
Richie McCormack
Richie McCormack

15.53 2 Dec 2020


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Murray says Ireland squad frus...

Murray says Ireland squad frustrated and annoyed with Georgian display

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Richie McCormack
Richie McCormack

15.53 2 Dec 2020


Share this article


Conor Murray says there's a determination among the Ireland squad to set the record straight after a disappointing display against Georgia. 

Ireland were limited to 3 points in the second half in an ugly 23-10 win at the Aviva Stadium last weekend.

Scotland visit Lansdowne Road this weekend in what's a de facto 3rd place playoff in the Autumn Nations Cup.

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Last weekend's performance was labelled "dire" by Alan Quinlan on OTB AM, while Brian O'Driscoll and Keith Wood were both unable to raise any positives from the game.

Captain Jonathan Sexton insisted earlier this week that Ireland were progressing under Andy Farrell, but added, "We need to put out the 80-minute performance with the finishing touches."

Murray says the review of last week's match wasn't pretty, but they are determined to finish the international season on a high.

"We've reviewed the game honestly and truthfully and I think there's an appetite in the squad to get it right this weekend," Murray told a Zoom conference.

"I've said it in loads of interviews that they're small fixes, or we're very close or this-and-that.

"So it's up to the players now. The coaches have given us everything we need to go out and perform, and it's about us executing.

"At the weekend it was a matter of executing a breakdown and getting fast ball, or letting the Georgians slow it down. Things like that that are solely on the players' back to get right. And off the back of that, being able to convert opportunities.

"We were annoyed at the weekend that we didn't perform better and put more points on the board - even though Georgia fully deserved to be in the game.

"You can just sense it in the playing group, we're frustrated with what we've shown last weekend and we want to put it right this weekend.

"That usually leads to a much better performance, when the players take the ownership and understand that it was on them. And a lot of the fixes are down to the players, so there's that vibe in camp this week."

However, Murray's all too aware that Scotland will not just be passive observers to the emergence of a 'new Ireland' on Saturday.

Eight of the last ten meetings have gone Ireland's way, but there have been no heavy beatings inflicted upon the Scots.

And with all the will in the world, that's unlikely to change on Saturday, "If they had played against Georgia last weekend - and struggled to put them to the sword, if you will - we'd be more confident than we usually would, Murray said.

"I'm sure they're licking their lips. And that's the challenge for us, to go out and right the wrongs from last weekend and put it up to the Scots.

"Because they've no fear of coming to the Aviva, they always seem to put it up to us.

"It's a game they always play well in, and it's definitely a huge challenge for us.

"But like I said, 40-minutes isn't going to dampen our mood this week. We've been enjoying camp, we've been enjoying the way we've been playing. We've seen really good glimpses of it, so it's another chance to go out there and show people."

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