Richie Murphy appears to be a man not too bothered by sentiment.
With his managerial debut in the champions cup just days away, Murphy wasn’t bothered by the career milestone, instead preferring to concentrate on the job at hand.
“Not really. I’m sorry, but I don’t get carried away with things, you know what I mean?” replied Murphy when asked about his first venture into club rugby’s biggest tournament as a head coach.
“It’s another game. We’re playing Toulouse, I’ve been in Toulouse before. I’ve been in the European Cup semi-final out there with Leinster when I was part of the backroom staff.
“So, you kind of know what’s there and what’s going to come.
“We haven’t really focused at all that it’s a European Cup, as in make it any different, but we are preparing to play the best team in Europe and I suppose that’s the special part of the week.”
It’s been a difficult last few weeks for all concerned at Ravenhill and a trip to the home of the European and French champions is the last place I’m sure Murphy will want to take his squad at the minute.
Sitting pretty at the summit of the Top 14, the aristocrats of club rugby will be aiming to add further European glory to their already bulging trophy cabinet.
It’s shaping up to be Ulster’s toughest examination of the season.
“Every game that we’ve prepared for we’ve looked at the team that we’re trying to play against and we’ve tried to find a weakness in them in order to try and win the game.
“In this period from Leinster, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Munster, Connacht, with three six-day turnarounds in that, we have to use our squad the best we can.
“Obviously, our squad is depleted a little bit at the moment but where we can we have to cut our cloth and over the next couple of weeks that’s going to have to happen.
“So, with selection, each team that we pick will be a team that we think and compete and try and win. That’s the way we go into those games, the very same as probably every other game – it’s just a particularly tough period.”
With injuries continuing to stack up, Murphy’s back-three options are running low.
With this in mind, Murphy has turned to former Ulster winger Rob Lyttle.
Lyttle recently retired from the professional game but continues to line-out for Banbridge in the All-Ireland league.
With playing resources being stretched to its limits, Murphy confirmed that no further medical jokers will be brought in. Instead, stating that any further recruitment will come from the club’s own academy.
“We brought back in Rob Little for a couple of weeks and we’ll see how that progresses.
“We also have some Academy players that we want to try and bring through as well. So, between them at this moment of time, we’re actually OK.
“I suppose if somebody else was to get injured that could become an issue then.”
