Rory’s story is a good one
MAKING A BURST Ballinrobe’s Rory Murphy is pictured in Connacht Junior Cup action against Loughrea earlier this season. Pic: Conor McKeown
Interview
Mike FinnertyIF Ballinrobe go on to win the Connacht Junior Cup this season, they can thank Apple founders, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, in a roundabout sort of way. Because if Rory Murphy hadn’t started working with Apple, a job that required him to work on Saturdays, then he might not have ended up leaving Corinthians RFC in Galway city. And he might not have ended up working from home in Ballyglass as a Customer Advisor with the well-known multinational, which in turn led to him signing with Ballinrobe at the start of last season. A knee injury meant the 27 year-old back-row forward only played two matches for the South Mayo club last year, but this season the former Connacht Under-18 has been a revelation.In fact, Murphy’s fantastic form has been one of the main reasons why Ballinrobe have qualified for their third successive Connacht Junior Cup semi-final. The man himself been enjoying every minute of the adventure too. He started his underage career with the club before leaving to further his rugby education with Westport, Cistercian College Roscrea, Old Belvedere and Corinthians in the AIL.But a decade on, fate brought back him back to the club where he first started in 2006. “I’m enjoying my time with Ballinrobe massively,” he began. “I enjoy it because of the fact that I’ve known a lot of the lads a long time, and it’s nice to be playing for a team so close to home. You have a sense that this is where rugby started for you, this is your home club. “There’s people in the club like Damo [Burke, the current firsts coach] who I can remember holding a tackle bag for us when we were Under-14. “There’s just something really nice about coming back, close to home. My dad, John, is from Ballinrobe originally too. “It’s an extremely well-run club, and there’s a lot going on.”Rory Murphy also appreciates the ‘calm and measured’ coaching and communication style of the Ballinrobe management team of David Nestor, Damian Burke and Craig Hansberry.He calls them ‘the three wise men’.“There’s never any anger for the sake of anger, everything is explained positively,” he said. “I don’t like managers who are just screaming and shouting when there’s no need for it, whereas Nes’, Damo’ and Craig are very level-headed and calm.“I’d appreciate that and I get along very well with them.”As for his team-mates, Murphy believes the absence of cliques and the camaraderie in the group are two of the main reasons why Ballinrobe are still in the mix for Cup and League honours this season. “There’s a good mix. You’ve the older lads like James McTigue, Dave Madden, Chris McHugh and Pat Mylotte, and they would get along very well with the younger lads. “I wouldn’t say there’s any crazy celebrations or anything, but everyone enjoys each other’s company which, I would say, adds to performance. “Even when people come in and out of the team, it’s very encouraging environment.“There’s good communication from management to players and that helps too.”One of those team-mates is the former Mayo footballer, Donie Vaughan.Rory Murphy is a big fan of his work. “I didn’t know Donal at all before I started playing with him, even though I’d watched him playing for Mayo plenty of times,” he explained.“I talk to him a lot during training and he’s incredibly intelligent in terms of everything from warm-ups to game scenarios. For someone who hadn’t played rugby in a long time, he’s got a lot of knowledge and a lot of cuteness in terms of a rugby match.“He’s been around the block and is very wise. He talks to everyone, is great to have around the dressing-room, and is a valuable member of the team.”Ballinrobe will need another powerful performance from Rory Murphy and company if they are to upset the odds and beat Creggs next Sunday. The Mayo lads have been written off already in most quarters but their number eight is having none of it. “Creggs are one of the top two teams in Division 1A so we’re obviously up against it.“But we don’t want to be seen as ‘hopeless cases’ going into the semi-final. We’re going in to win it. We might be coming in under the radar, but we’re going there to beat them.“We will be underdogs but we just have to play the match on the day.”As for his own rugby future, Murphy is taking it one game at a time too. “I don’t have a plan at this stage. I debated going back at all when I hurt my knee last year.“But I’m really, really enjoying playing with Ballinrobe, and I’d love to win some silverware with them. If we won the Connacht Junior or get up to 1A next year, it would be great.
“But we just have to take each game as it comes.”
Fixture
Connacht Junior CupSemi-Final
