Conor Murray: 'There is no extra pressure on me'

Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray has insisted that he is fully confident of producing his best form in the Six Nations opener against Italy on Saturday.

Murray has been battling a disc problem in his neck recently, but Ireland will be expecting the 25-year-old to have a great influence on the match in the absence of injured fly-half Jonathan Sexton.

"There's no more pressure than usual," the Munster number nine told reporters. "Other people might say there is but I don't see that.

"I have done all my contact. I have done bag work, tackled a few of the lads and feel good. I've gotten through that first contact fear if you want to call it that."

Ian Madigan and Ian Keatley are battling to replace Sexton for the match in Rome.