Lions tours, was handed the reins following the shoulder injury to Alun Wyn Jones. Naturally, given the circumstances, Murray was still coming to grips with this great honour. He was not alone.
Across braais, bar stools and bowls of biltong, South African rugby pundits and punters were in a similar state of surprise. It’s not that the 32year-old scrum-half is disrespected in the Republic. On the contrary, Mark Keohane, a divisive yet respected voice selected Murray as the best non-South African No.9 to have played the game since 1992. Were it not for a certain Fourie de Preez, the journalist would have selected Murray as the best scrum-half of the professional era.
The source of the collective shock was due to the by-passing of England’s captain and lynchpin Owen Farrell. As Keohane later tweeted, “(Warren) Gatland clearly doesn’t want an English captain.”
This says more about South Africans than it does about either Murray or Farrell. The All Blacks will forever be the Boks great nemesis and benchmark, but England and their players and fans just have a way of getting under the skin. Much of this has to do with the two nation’s colonial relationship as well as a perceived arrogance emanating from the land that birthed this game.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 04, 2021-Ausgabe von The Rugby Paper.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 04, 2021-Ausgabe von The Rugby Paper.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Ten-try Chiefs show Pirates no mercy
TEN-TRY Exeter inflicted the backlash from six successive defeats in their worst ever start to a Premiership season on a young Pirates side suffering their own problems in the Championship.
South America look to keep on building
AS Sebastián Piñeyrúa's historic six-year term as President of Rugby Sudamérica comes to an end, his replacement shows no signs of slowing down.
Scarratt excited by new pathway
ENGLAND centurion Emily Scarratt is delighted with the new women's BUCS programme which aims to provide a smoother pathway for young aspiring female players.
Baxter: I want to make things better
ROB Baxter will not be walking away from Exeter, the only club still looking for a Premiership victory this season, believing he can get the Chiefs back on track and he cannot bear the thought of anyone else doing the job.
Pearce walks in his father's footsteps
PADDY Pearce is living a dream after emulating his father and great-uncle by playing for the club he supported as a boy, Bristol.
New England group will cause uncertainty
SO JUST when we thought that everything was getting sorted between the RFU, the clubs and players, a number of new agreements and a new group raises its head.
Galthie turns his sights to the future
FRANCE head coach Fabien Galthie offered the clearest hint yet of Les Bleus' future on Wednesday, when he released 19 players back F to their clubs for the ninth and final Top 14 round before the international break.
Gilmore has tightened up our defence - Anderson
CAMERON Anderson has hailed the impact made by defence coach Jason Gilmore, below, since he arrived at The Stoop in the summer.
Ampthill given 11-try lesson in class from Bath
BATH secured a thumping away success in the opening match of their Premiership Rugby Cup campaign against Ampthill at Dillingham Park.
New faces take the plaudits for Saints
NORTHAMPTON handed out a thorough lesson to a tame Leicester team in this one-sided East Midlands derby to launch the Premiership Cup.