This Lions tour gives Murphy the chance to make a worldwide impact after missing out on the 2003 World Cup in heartbreaking fashion.

The Leicester man broke his leg in Ireland's final pre-tournament warm-up game against Scotland and spent six months on the sidelines recuperating.

As the Irish Player of the Season in 2003, Murphy more than most deserved a chance to play at the World Cup but his time will surely come again.

Some pundits argue - with some validity - that he is yet to regain the scintillating form he was in before ill fortune befell him, yet all it will take is one trademark game-breaking run from the fleet-footed Murphy to silence them.

His performances in Leicester's Heineken Cup run - particularly during the latter stages - have shown he is getting back to his best and that bodes well for the Lions.

On his day, the 27-year-old is one of the stand-out performers in northern hemisphere rugby and it is a measure of the strength of the Lions backs that he is not considered a certainty for a Test berth.