Conor Murray: Noel McNamara contradicting Peter O’Mahony showed me his clear vision for how his teams should play

I have an instructive story about Noel McNamara. A few years ago, on a down week during the Six Nations, the senior Ireland team played Noel’s under-20s at Carton House.Away from prying eyes, the physical stuff got serious. The young fellas are revved up so, inevitably, the packs come together. A 19-year-old lock knows he cannot retreat when James Ryan has him by the collar.After the session, in a big huddle, Andy Farrell opened the floor for his players to pass on some advice to the next generation. Peter O’Mahony spoke. Pete suggested that the under-20 forwards should come on to the ball a bit deeper. Get up a head of steam.Noel interjected: “I hear what you’re saying, but no, that is not our style. We want to be running flat on to the ball. This is how we want to play.”READ MOREMcNamara could have waited until the senior players and coaches were out of ear shot to contradict Pete. But no, he had a clear vision of how his team would play. We had a great time slagging ‘Coach O’Mahony’. Weeks later, you’d still hear someone chirp: ‘Ah Pete, you got to be flatter on that ball’. Ireland's Sean Jansen is tackled by Japan's Tiennan Costley. Photo: Ben Brady/Inpho McNamara replacing Cullen next season is a statement appointment by the IRFU performance director David Humphreys and the Leinster CEO Shane Nolan. Felipe Contepomi ticked a lot of boxes as a legendary former player and assistant coach who is gaining invaluable experience as Argentina head coach, but Leinster cannot wait until November 2027. McNamara’s first season will be defined by the work he gets through during the World Cup.There were other names floating about, like Jacques Nienaber and Scott Robertson, but Leinster saw fit to hire a Munster man. Only joking. McNamara might be from Clare, but he is the perfect example of the Leinster coaching system having a clear line of progression from the schools to the top of the pyramid.An outstanding attack coach, he developed his style while winning cups at Clongowes Wood College – helping the likes of Beirne, Sheehan, Ed Byrne and Will Connors to break into the professional ranks.I’d say his time in the Leinster academy and with the Ireland under-20s allowed him to interview better than all the other candidates. He’d have an encyclopedic knowledge of the players he is going to inherit.Now all we have to do is bring home the other five Munster men coaching in exile. Seriously, Ronan O’Gara has built an impressive body of work at La Rochelle, and Rog has always been a separate entity to the rest of us. But Donnacha Ryan coaching the pack at La Rochelle, Felix Jones and Jerry Flannery with the Boks, and the recently departed Mike Prendergast to Bath, will all see how McNamara convinced the decision makers in the IRFU to invest in one of their own. It wasn’t always this way. The big name from the southern hemisphere used to get the nod. What’s important now is a home-grown coach like McNamara, Felix and the rest can go away, earn a decent living and eventually, if the timing is right, bring their knowledge back home.[ Sean Jansen intent on using Irish opportunity as a springboard for Rugby World CupOpens in new window ]Anyway, start your engines for the inaugural Nations Championship at the Aviva Stadium.It’s still the November series, although the carrot of facing the All Blacks or Springboks at Twickenham at the end of the month brings an added dimension to the international game.I remember November 2022, 12 months before the last World Cup. We had just won a Test series in New Zealand. Right out the gate, we beat South Africa before seeing off Fiji and Australia. A Grand Slam followed in March.Thinking back, they were the best of times. It’s taken me three years to say it: besides the opening 20 minutes of the World Cup quarter-final, we had a great tournament. That’s why I believe this Ireland group have earned the right to expect to beat Argentina, Fiji and South Africa in Dublin this month. That’s not coming from inside the camp, but the 42-21 victory over England at Twickenham last February is fresher in my mind than the defeat in Paris, or even the loss to New Zealand last summer.Ireland's Mack Hansen and South Africa's Kwagga Smith. Photo: Gary Carr/Inpho Farrell’s team to take on the Pumas on Friday night has an encouraging mix of established men and fresh talent, even with Caelan Doris, Jack Conan and Garry Ringrose injured, and Jamison Gibson-Park and Josh van der Flier on the bench.I’ve seen Sean Jansen putting himself about for Connacht. With Caelan and Jack out, Jansen gets a rare opportunity at number eight. We might see Dan Sheehan finish in the backrow. The captain tends to play 80 minutes and presumably that was the thinking behind Leinster recently shifting him from hooker to number eight.Technically speaking, Ryan has been dropped. I know the coaches do not see it that way. Ryan is not behind Joe McCarthy and Tadhg Beirne. Nor is Bundee Aki behind Stu McCloskey and Robbie Henshaw.These are the units that work together day-in, day-out to ensure the transition is seamless.All three locks are 80-minute men. Joe’s size and Tadhg’s turnovers might be of more value in the first half.The pack at full-time against Argentina, and possibly South Africa 15 days later, could well be Tom O’Toole, Rónan Kelleher, Sam Illo, McCarthy, Ryan, Beirne, Van der Flier and Sheehan.Leinster's Joey Carbery celebrates scoring a try against Connacht with Jordan Larmour. Photo: Ben Brady/Inpho The starting XV leaves plenty of room to manoeuvre. Mack Hansen returns on the wing. Of course, Mack will roam and create attacks in his own unorthodox style. He feels like a new signing. So does the return of Andrew Porter from injury. All eyes will be on Sam Prendergast against Argentina. What’s new, Sam? His response to being cut from both the Ireland and Leinster match day squads last season shows his true character.In a different rugby environment, that could have set him back years. After missing the Champions Cup final, instead of feeling sorry for himself, Prendergast won his place back and drove Leinster to a URC title by overcoming three South African sides on the bounce.Ciarán Frawley deserves a start at outhalf, possibly against Fiji, but there is another name on the outhalf radar now Jack Crowley is unavailable.My former Munster halfback partner Joey Carbery has hit the ground running at Leinster. The Ireland A call up against Fiji A is well earned.Carbery is a class rugby player. I cannot emphasis how tricky it was to guide Leinster through the sideways rain in Galway the other week. His kicking game has evolved after being beset by injuries at Munster and Bordeaux Bègles. Still only 31, I know Joey has admirers in key positions inside Irish rugby. Leo Cullen never wanted to lose him to Munster (as he keeps reminding Simon Zebo on television). And I’ve no doubt that Noel McNamara wanted him at Bordeaux.