Andy Farrell says he is in awe of Conor Murray after the Ireland boss confirmed the Munster star will hit the century mark for Ireland on Saturday.
Murray, 33, has played second fiddle to Jamison Gibson-Park for the past year to 18 months.
But, with the Leinster no 9 named on the bench for his first game of the season after injury, Murray makes his first start for Ireland since the 53-7 win over Argentina in last year’s Nations Series.
READ MORE: Dan Sheehan goes from sitting on the shoulders of giants to rubbing shoulders with them
Speaking after naming his side to face reigning World Cup champions South Africa at the Aviva Stadium, Farrell admitted: “I am in awe of these people.
"It’s pretty special because we all know that to be able to get to that type of career, what it takes.
"Whether you are a coach or a player you see all the ups and downs and all the pressures that come in from all sorts of directions and you see everyone wants to move on to what they perceive to be the next best thing.
"Somebody who stands up to be counted time and time again, to get to a point like that, I’m in awe of it because the hardest thing is to stay at the top.
"Of course there are ups and downs but the biggest compliment I could pay Conor – he’s a legend of Irish rugby and his abilities are second to none – is that he is a top, top class bloke. I don’t know anyone who has a bad word to say about him.
"We are all obsessed with rugby but when it comes to how he has managed himself throughout his career- and there are big things still to come – he is classed as a fantastic human being by his peers.”
Murray will partner Johnny Sexton as the veterans renew their partnership and, with the pack named along expected lines, the other headline selections are Hugo Keenan coming straight back in at full back for his first game of the season and Rob Baloucoune making his third Test appearance, the Ulster flyer named on the wing having previously played against USA and Argentina last year.
“He offers something a bit different," said Farrell of Baloucoune.
"It takes all sorts and everyone manages their careers at different stages. Rob has been in camp four or five times and it has been stop-start with injuries etc and then he has gone back to learn his trade.
"We would have loved for him to come to New Zealand. A trip like that would have been priceless for him and one of the reasons we put him on the Emerging Ireland tour was for the experience.
"When you have an opportunity like this to see how Rob handles the big occasion, to be able to do that in a good side is pretty important as well.
"We feel he is ready, that he can offer something different. You look at different ends of the scale, this is how Conor’s career started. It’s up to Rob and his teammates helping him to grab the opportunity and show what he is about at the top level.”
Asked about the decision to pick Keenan to start and Gibson-Park on the bench given their lack of match fitness, Farrell described the decision as "calculated".
He explained: "Calculated, when you weigh everything up, the personnel that you’ve got, the injuries and then people coming back into camp.
"It almost goes back to zero for us, how they apply themselves, the confidence not just in themselves but how it transfers to their teammates.
"Each individual is completely different and that’s what makes the world go around.
“When you talk about someone like Hugo, we could talk all day about him really, but he is the fittest in the team.
"We will start there, but he is the most diligent as far as his work in the team as well and that is not just across his own work but everyone else’s as well.
"Some people can hit the ground running and be very good. Other people take three or four weeks and we believe Hugo is in a good space to start on Saturday.”
READ NEXT:
Derry GAA legend Fergal Doherty charged with manslaughter of pub customer
Increased capacity for Dalymount Park as new €40m design revealed
Dan Sheehan: from sitting on the shoulders of giants to rubbing shoulders with them
All Blacks XV announce star-studded side for Ireland 'A' clash
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts
