30 Minutes with… Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray

What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen on the pitch?

Playing for the Lions against the Rebels, I got up from the bottom of a ruck and heard a team-mate yelling to kick it out, so I booted it straight across the ruck, not looking for distance, and started jogging off thinking it was half-time, but the ref blew for the lineout. I turned around and Zeebs (Simon Zebo) was just laughing at me. He got fined for it later!

Who are the jokers in the Ireland squad?

Seany (O’Brien) and Luke Fitz are the main men. They keep us entertained. Seany is MC on long bus journeys and tells a few jokes and funny stories.

What about practical jokes?

Peter O’Mahony and Zeebs are probably up there. When my laundry comes back they rip it open, so when I come to collect it, it’s all over the floor. They think I don’t know it’s them, but I’m planning to get them back.

Face of fury? Peter O’Mahony is “very intense and angry” according to Murray. Photo: Getty Images

What did you get up to off the field at the World Cup?

We’re together for a long time, so it’s important to do fun things. On one day off, we got to go to Alton Towers and we went clay pigeon shooting.

It was supposed to be fun but got competitive very quickly! Peter O’Mahony is a bit of a sharpshooter – he’s into his hunting – so he came first. Paul O’Connell got a lot of help from the guy taking us round so he came a surprise second.

What annoys you?

Messy people. I’m quite tidy so I find it irritating when I’m in camp and have a room-mate who’s messy. Keith Earls is quite messy, but I whipped him into shape during the 2011 World Cup!

If you could be any of your team-mates, who would it be?

I’ll go with Peter O’Mahony. He’s quite a crazy individual; he’s very intense and angry, so I’d love to see the world from his point of view, to be that angry. Just for a day, though.

Who’d you like to be stuck in a lift with?

Paul O’Connell, because you wouldn’t be stuck in the lift for long! He’d find a way to get out by busting the roof off or pulling the doors open.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Crisps. I love crisps, and dips. That’s what I’ll be eating when I finish rugby.

Snack attack: Murray likes to indulge in a packet of crisps. Photo: Getty Images

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

To predict the future. In games it would be useful and in a lot of other things. You’d know what to do to change the future.

What would you like to achieve outside of rugby?

Just to be successful. I don’t know what I want to do yet, but I love food, so maybe I’ll open a restaurant. I could set one up close to a port to get fresh seafood all the time.

How would you like to be remembered?

Just to be respected by other players. You try to impress people and fans, but being respected by your own team-mates is No 1 on my list.

This article appeared in the November 2015 edition of Rugby World. For the latest subscription offers click here, or find out how to download the digital edition here.