The Saints star put in two stunning displays against New Zealand and the Springboks to put himself in the departure lounge for the British Lions tour of South Africa next summer.

Murray single-handedly mangled New Zealand's scrum, giving rookie prop Jamie Mackintosh a debut from hell.

And the Saints tighthead was named man of the match against South Africa. After ending the autumn internationals with a 41-0 trouncing of Canada last week, Murray was left wishing they could play New Zealand again after losing 32-6 in the opening game.

Murray said: "You're coming up against the best in the world, it was the biggest challenge in my life and as a team it was the biggest challenge for most of our careers.

I wish we'd had New Zealand last in the three-Test series."

It was a difficult defeat to come back from for Murray, but the devout Christian has come back from far worse. In 2005 he was knocked out playing for Glasgow against Munster and had a seizure on the field.

Luckily Murray recovered and the experience helped him find true meaning in his religion that had always been part of his life.

"I was just thankful to be still alive," said Murray.

"My team-mates said when they were standing on the pitch as I was going through this seizure, some of them said they thought I was dying, so it was a very scary event.

It made me sit up.

I became scared of where I was going when I died.

Life's here one minute and could be gone the next.

I tried to change my life and I couldn't, then suddenly my life changed and it was Christ who changed my life, that's why I have faith.

It's the most important thing in my life. It's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Rugby players often say they feel like they have been in a car crash the day after a game, but for the front row merchants it is on another level.

"The day after a game I maybe get a massage, maybe an ice bath, do some stretching, but in general, I just lie on my couch or try to sleep, you can't really move.

"Even if you wanted to do something you can't because your body's in bits."

Saints' tough pre-season has got Murray in top physical shape for the internationals and he reveals it was a tortuous affair even for somebody of the Glaswegian's size.

"Pre-season was unbelievable this year," said Murray.

"We were getting into the club just after 6.30am and finishing at four in the afternoon.

We'd be doing double weights sessions in the morning – strength, power endurance sessions, muscle endurance sessions in the gym, then strong man events – stuff like flipping tyres.

"We have a thing called the growler; you're very low to the ground and you're trying to push this metal implement along the concrete which is weighed down with big weights, no wheels, just three points of contact with the ground.

"You're trying to push it on essentially three plates, it's ridiculously difficult, some people couldn't move it."