Murray: Full of confidence

Murray may have only broken into Munster's first team this year - and is yet to play in the Heineken Cup - but he has gone on to force himself in contention for the No.9 jersey.

That means Murray could team up with the player he admired most as a youngster against the USA on Sunday.

And although O'Gara is 12 years older and has won 109 more caps for Ireland, Murray claims he will have little respect for seniority if he needs to be critical.

"Being from Munster, Ronan was the big name when I was taking an interest in rugby," said the 22-year-old.

"Even when I started training with Munster it was pretty daunting having contact with him because he's a world class player.

"My first start with him was 10 weeks before the Magners League final in May.

"That was daunting but as soon as I'd had a few games with him it was great and I was starting to feel more confident.

"He was very approachable. I was comfortable asking him questions.

"You have to be able to bark at someone like him during games. He does the same to me and it's a good relationship.

"You have to be comfortable shouting at players, even if it means you must push yourself to do that.

"You have to roar at them if they're doing something wrong or you want their attention.

"It's not the time to be quiet on a rugby field, especially at this level."

Having helped Garryowen escape relegation from the AIB League two years ago, Murray has enjoyed a meteoric rise.

He has benefited from Tomas O'Leary's collapse of form, with Murray first ousted him from the provincial team before taking his place in the Ireland squad.

And although he faces competition for the more experienced Isaac Boss and Eoin Reddan, Murray insists he is not in New Zealand for a holiday.

"I have a competitive nature. There are two other scrum-halves here and we're all battling for that one place," he said.

"I want to do as well as I can. I want to get some game time and don't want to be a passenger.

"I'm not here for a holiday, I want to contribute to the team's effort to do as well as we can.

"A lot of comparisons have been made between me and (Wales scrum-half) Mike Phillips, but I think that's more about how I look.

"You have to play your own unique game. My passing game is good, as is my kicking game.

"No-one is perfect and I have to keep working. There are three different types of scrum-half in the squad.

"You bring your own game to it and hopefully that's enough to get you picked. There's no point changing what I'm doing.

"You have to back yourself. If I can keep my head down and continue doing what I'm doing, Declan will give me a chance.

"I feel good and want to take the chance if it comes."