One of Ireland's most gifted players, Murphy continues to frustrate and dazzle in equal measure. A match-winner on his day, the Leicester back uses his vision and footwork to shred defences. However, he can also be error-prone, and this has proved costly for Ireland in the past. His treatment during the World Cup by Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan hinted at a frosty relationship between the pair, and he started only one match in France - against Argentina when Girvan Dempsey was injured. Calls for his reinstatement to the team before the Pumas match were ignored by O'Sullivan. Dempsey was preferred in the 2008 RBS 6 Nations and the autumn internationals, but Murphy reclaimed the No15 jersey for the final match against Argentina.