Richie Murphy says that the best thing his Ireland under-20s can do is be the best versions of themselves in tomorrow's World Rugby Championship semi-final against hosts South Africa (3.3opm Irish time).
Murphy spoke yesterday of how he was "extremely proud" of how his players have dealt with the tragedies that have impacted them in recent days in Greece and in Cape Town.
Both were close to home, with six of the squad attending the same school as Andrew O'Donnell and Max Wall, the 18-year-olds who died on the Greek island of Ios, while reserve scrum-half Jack Oliver's father Scott, a Munster coach, died in a paragliding accident on the eve of the final pool game against Fiji.
READ MORE: Richie Murphy on the "very difficult time" for Ireland's U20s around tragic deaths in Greece and SA
Jack stayed with the squad until Wednesday night, when he returned home with his mother Fiona.
Meanwhile, the South Africa rugby union kindly provided a grief counsellor for Ireland's use.
"She met with some of the leadership group and on the back of that we came up with some solutions to the way forward," explained Murphy.
"She also met with a number of the Munster boys and was available to anyone else who wanted to meet her. She gave me some strategies and some advice in relation to trying to prepare the team for the following day.
"That's where it's been at. We're obviously checking in on guys on a regular basis but they've probably found comfort in the regular week."
The players are dealing with it all as best as they can. Murphy brought some levity to yesterday's press briefing when he mentioned that as they have gone about their preparatory work as normal, the players have been encouraged to get out and about as well.
"We've had some very interesting looking haircuts," he said.
"The guys are just trying to distract themselves and stay focused on the rugby but also on a life experience in South Africa and obviously part of that changed a lot in the last few days."
They got through the last few days, through that final pool game with a win, and that puts them one game away from the final against opponents who have been inconsistent but that will have the backing of a large, vociferous crowd at the Athlone Stadium.
Given that it has been pretty much must-win rugby since the off, Murphy - who has named 14 of the side that beat Australia in round two, with Sam Prendergast, skipper Gus McCarthy and Fintan Gunn among those returning - has emphasised more of the same now.
"We don't get carried away with ourselves, we just deal with the day that we're in," he stated.
"The lads are just taking this in their stride and when it comes to Sunday it will be the same routine that they face over and over again throughout the Six Nations and throughout this World Cup so far."
And the mood? "Focused, I'd say. There's definitely an air of excitement but I would say focused," he reflected.
"They're looking forward to that challenge of South Africa and very much focusing in on the areas that we have to get right in relation to putting our best performance out.
"If we can do that we know we're going to be very close.
"It stuck with us all the way through the season, it worked pretty well last year.
"So we'll be focusing in on our roles, on our jobs, and we talked about getting ourselves into this position last October so that now that we're now we just have to be true to ourselves and play the game that we know we can play.
"So really concentrating on being the best version of our team that we can be because that's what is most important.
"I know that's what Jack at home and Greig would have wanted."
