The Wales full-back has enjoyed a remarkable first season since moving from New Zealand, but one thing still eludes him
When Blair Murray arrived in Llanelli last year, the versatile back-three was hoping for just a handful of appearances in his debut season with the Scarlets.
A coffee with Leigh Halfpenny while the former Wales full-back was playing in Christchurch with the Crusaders convinced Murray that a move from New Zealand to Wales was the right one, but the former New Plymouth Boys’ pupil – whose mother hails from Tonyrefail – had tempered expectations for what he was about to head into.
Instead, a whirlwind ride has followed for the electric 23-year-old. Thrown into the Scarlets’ starting side straight away, it’s been some maiden campaign in Wales for Murray.
Quickly becoming an important part of Dwayne Peel’s side, he crossed for 11 tries in 17 starts for the Scarlets, helping them to the United Rugby Championship play-offs and earning him a place in the league’s Elite XV at the end of the season.
His form also warranted a call-up by Wales at the first opportunity, with Warren Gatland handing him his Test debut against Fiji last November. Since then, he’s been involved in every Wales match this season.
As he once again starts in Kobe this weekend, his first season in Welsh rugby will end with him already in double figures in terms of caps.
His name was even regularly thrown into the mix when it came to picking the British and Irish Lions squad. When the time comes to take it all in, it’s been some rise.
“I haven’t really had the time to sit and reflect on the first season,” Murray tells WalesOnline in Kobe. “It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster.
“Coming from where I was to where I am now, I wouldn’t have expected any of it. If I think about it, it’s been awesome. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack for the exclusive five-week tour diary from Japan and Australia.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had. The opportunities with the Scarlets in terms of game-time and letting me express myself. And then being the Wales set-up as well, it’s been awesome.
“When I signed with the Scarlets, I was thinking I might get three to five games for them and then hopefully next year I’d be able to work my way into the starting team. So being put straight into the starting squad and getting as much game time as I did, I was stoked.
“I just wanted to make the most of the opportunity. It’s been amazing.”
In terms of cultural differences, as anyone who has visited Aotearoa, there’s not a whole lot of difference between Wales and New Zealand. There’s always been a kind of bond between the countries, so that part was fairly simple for Murray.
“In terms of culture, it didn’t feel too different coming over,” he added. “It helped I had family in Wales and near Bristol as well.
“Having people nearby that I can talk to and see if I need it, I never really felt homesick which was massive for me. Obviously my girlfriend came over with me as well. That’s made it a lot easier here.
“It’s just different playing styles I guess. There’s a lot more running rugby back in New Zealand.
“Here, it’s a lot more structure-based. A lot more kicking and territory.
“Rugby-wise, I remember the first month I struggled a little bit with the amount of kicking. You say the Scarlets are known for throwing it about, but for me it didn’t feel like that at all!
“For me, it felt like we didn’t run at all and were just kicking everything. Once I understood it and we got a bit experience as a group, it became a lot better and I started to really enjoy it after a bit.”
Murray was quite a find for the Scarlets. When they signed him, he’d played just eight games for Canterbury’s NPC side, while he’d been told there was no place for him at the Crusaders in the short term. Most of his development came with the University of Canterbury Vipers – making his rapid rise all the more remarkable.
Halfpenny was at the Crusaders when Murray was trying to force his way in – with the former Wales full-back, who is now coaching Wales on this tour, offering some sound advice.
“I had chats with him,” he said. “When the Scarlets offered me a contract, I had a coffee with him, just asking him what it was like.
“He said I’d love it here and it’d be perfect for me. He helped me make a decision and make it more clear for me.
“Now that he’s in the set-up, it’s quite cool to have another familiar face coming in. He’s been a massive help.
“He’s one of the best full-backs to ever do it. The help he’s had on me, in terms of positioning and skillset, has been amazing.
“He’s on the quiet side. But as a coach, he’s been awesome. He hasn’t been afraid to step into the team meetings and say his word.
“He’s helped me a lot individually. I know he’s done it with other boys, getting us on our own and showing us clips. He’s been great.”
Despite the quick ascension to Test double figures, there’s still something Murray hasn’t crossed off his list – a victory at international level.
He’s not alone in that regard, with so many of this Wales side having not tasted it for some time. Last weekend, 17 consecutive Test defeats became 18 – with a picture of Murray on his haunches after the full-time whistle perfectly illustrating the devastation of that latest defeat.
“I just took a moment with myself to let it all sink in,” he says about that moment. “It was a heart-breaking loss.
“It felt like we were on to win. We just couldn’t quite finish the job.
“So I took a moment to myself to reflect, then it’s getting around the boys to make sure we’re all sticking together. It’s a tough loss.
“We’re going into half-time 19-7 up and it’s still the same with 20 minutes to go. We felt like we were in a comfortable spot to win.
“We just lost momentum and things didn’t really go our way. It’s a heart-breaking loss.”
Despite that, Murray has no doubt in his mind that that run – the elephant that has been present in the room for over 600 days now – will be buried this weekend.
“I feel confident we can get the win,” he added. “I felt like we should have won last week and we can get the win.
“It’s just making sure we do stay in the game for the whole 80 minutes, sticking to our game plan. But I’m confident. Obviously, it’s matters who shows up on the day.
“Japan are a good side. They’ve got class players, attacking shape is great and they’re known for playing fast and scoring tries. As long as we stay switched on for the whole 80 minutes, we’ve got a good shot and should get the win.
“Everyone knows that we’re in a low point at the moment. We all want to get the win and be the team to end it. It’s exciting for us to have the opportunity to get that done.”
