RUGBY: JOHNNY WATTERSONtalks to the Leicester fullback on his recovery from injury and his hopes for the future

GEORDAN MURPHY is hoping that highly specialised treatment will have accelerated the healing of his ankle enough to allow him make a claim for a World Cup place with Ireland in September.

The 32-year-old full-back was carried off on a stretcher near the end of Leicester’s win against Northampton at Welford Road at the start of January and underwent surgery to stabilise a dislocated ankle. The screws and pins that were inserted are to come out early next month.

The treatment, hyperbaric therapy, is an emerging medical speciality that quickens the healing process by using oxygen under pressure. The procedure, which takes place in a chamber, increases blood and oxygen supply to the wounded areas and promotes the healing process. In 2004 Manchester United’s David Beckham used similar methods when he broke a bone in his foot. “We have a chamber in our training facility at Leicester,” said Murphy. “It’s like a diving chamber where they increase the pressure and you breathe pure oxygen. I was doing that treatment for a month or so, which I think was beneficial. The doctors were happy with the way it went and thought there was improvement. But I won’t know for certain until I get the iron ware out of my ankle. I’ll have another operation on April 12th for the metal work to be taken out.”

Given the change of fullbacks within the Irish squad and Murphy’s ability to play in a number of positions, he would have a reasonable chance of making it on to the plane to New Zealand. Rob Kearney was in possession of the fullback jersey but was injured playing against New Zealand in the 2010 November series and subsequently had an operation on his knee. He has not played a competitive game for almost four months. Irish coach Declan Kidney then put Leinster’s Luke Fitzgerald into the position before moving Keith Earls there for Ireland’s final match of the Six Nations Championship against England.

Being fit for Leicester in the Premiership final on May 28th, should they make it, is on his radar but his prime goal is to play his way back into the Irish squad.

“I’m training every day, trying to strengthen my leg,” said Murphy, who is still on crutches. “After the operation, it is entirely up to me to get back to full strength.” The Premiership semi-finals are on May 14th-15th with the final taking place a fortnight later. Leicester are top of the Premiership table and are highly likely to be involved in the play-offs. “I won’t push too hard but it certainly is a goal of mine to get myself fit and get myself selected for the World Cup. It would be great if I’m in the picture and yes it is certainly something I’ve been thinking about. Everyone involved in the last World Cup was extremely disappointed. I know it will be difficult and I know that having an injury in the lead up to the World Cup is not ideal.”

Murphy missed out on the 2003 World Cup but he did travel to Bordeaux with Ireland for the 2007 competition, although he didn’t get much game time from the then coach Eddie O’Sullivan. Only after first choice fullback Girvan Dempsey was injured in Ireland’s Pool D defeat to hosts France was Murphy called in for the final fruitless Pool match against Argentina.

“I set my goals around this time last year just after the Six Nations,” said Murphy. “I have spoken to Deccie (Kidney) and I want to be involved. I played against Argentina in the November internationals and then got the injury in January.

“I know I am going to put the work in. I do believe it is a realistic goal for me to have and that’s where it is. Once I get the iron ware out of my ankle I can really get down to it. This is not a pipe dream. I have sought medical advice from doctors and physiotherapists and it is a realistic goal. They are very, very aggressive with rehab here and we tend to get players back quicker than other clubs because the physios take that view on injuries.”

Ireland have four friendly matches in August. The team plays Scotland in Murrayfield on August 6th before travelling to Chaban-Delmas to meet France. The pre-World Cup warm-up series finishes with two home games in Aviva Stadium against France on August 20th and England a week later.