JORDI MURPHY IS happy to be seen as a jack of all trades.
He’s not worried about being shunted about the back row or slipping down the pecking order for a particular position.
After all, it is his versatility that got him this far in the first place.
Tonight he’s on the bench as Leinster go to Ravenhill in search of the win that would guarantee them home advantage in the Pro12 semi-finals.
Matt O’Connor has usually deferred to the more experienced Shane Jennings on the blindside in recent weeks but Murphy kept his spoke in on his most recent start, pouncing early against Treviso last month for his seventh try of the season.
That was his 13th start this year — already more than double his total in 2012/2013 — and his performances have earned him not only his first Irish caps and a Six Nations winners’ medal but a nomination for IRUPA’s Young Player of the Year Award to boot.
“A lot of people have been asking me if I’m going to specialise in one position but I don’t see why you can’t specialise in two or sometimes even three,” he told TheScore.ie.
There have been some incredible players who have been able to play across the backline or across the back row or even some second rows mixed with sixes as well.
“I don’t see why I couldn’t specialise in two or maybe three. That’s what’s gotten me here in the first place really.
“Ultimately I’d probably like to play seven. Seven and eight is primarily where I’m playing at the moment. I can play at six and do a job there but I wouldn’t say it’s the strongest of all three.
“At the moment I’ll play wherever I’m asked.”
The only difficulty for a 23-year-old trying to break into the seven or eight jersey, both at Leinster and for Ireland, is the men ahead of him in the pecking order.
Sean O’Brien’s long-term injury removed one obstacle, temporarily at least, but the Tullow Tank hinted earlier this week that he could be fit in time for the Pro12 semi-finals.
Jamie Heaslip, meanwhile, has been as indispensable as ever.
“It’s not frustrating,” Murphy said. “It’s healthy competition and it makes you a better player to be playing against two players who are better than me at the moment.
“They’ve I don’t how many Irish caps between them and they’re both Lions but that’s what you strive to be.
You want to be hunting those players down and prove your worth around them and against them.
He added: “I always thought that I had the ability to make it at Leinster and that I just needed a break. I got that about 18 months ago when there was a few injuries in the backrow and I got a run of games under my belt. I haven’t looked back since then.
“I’ve been hungry to do better and better, I’ve been setting my goals high and I’ll just keep trying to reach them.”
