Munster need a specific 2024/25 'first' if they are to beat Sharks

Irish Daily Mirror

a day ago

Munster have been living life on the cliff edge these past few weeks.
The penultimate URC game with Ulster was the equivalent of a knockout game when it came to quarter-final qualification as was the last game against Benetton.
Positive results, 38-20 and 30-21 respectively, hoisted the Reds to a sixth place finish, the single most important detail being it guaranteed Champions Cup next season.
Sixth meant an away quarter-final and Munster duly found themselves in with Sharks, ostensibly the post-New Year form team in the URC and a third knockout game in succession. Munster have not won three games in a row at any point this season.
"It was an awesome challenge, I guess when we started Ulster we knew we had to win those two games to ensure we made the play-offs," says star centre Alex Nankivell of Saturday evening's game.
"That's probably the exciting part of rugby, when you are in those positions you have to play a big game. Those are the ones in which you want to be involved and fortunately we did enough to get the two wins which was great and make the play-offs from the team point of view.
"For myself there is a bit of nerves at times being like sh*t you think about the one-off, but we've got a good team around us in terms of management and players give you confidence, focus on the process and nail the week.
"It's a bit of a cliché but you nail the week and the game takes care of itself."
Nankivell is pleased to be back talking about winning again as, returning from a hamstring injury, sustained in late December, on the last day of February there was a run of five defeats in the six games previously.
"It's been tough personally," admits the New Zealander. "Probably one of my more interesting years for myself and my career so far.
"I guess continuity and playing and then trying to be consistent on my performance like at the end of the first round I thought I had a good pre-season and then I tearing my hamstring
"I'd been out for ten weeks and then that Six Nations block where you got a game and you get a week two weeks off, you are playing with different people, new combinations.
"That has been really challenging but looking back on it now the amount that you learn has been huge and you take that forward.
"These last two games I've been able to string together, they always give you confidence in terms of this week and just building those minutes and those combinations, relationships on the field, can't really beat that so good learning I'm happy where I'm at the moment.
By contrast the Durban-based Sharks have won eight of the last URC 10 games, the shock 7-10 reverse against Leinster's 'seconds' five games back their last defeat. It was, coincidentally, their only defeat at home in the competition this season.
"Transition is going to be huge for us so, our ability, our speed to connect those moments are massive but for us like I said they have a load of world class players, a lot of Springboks but a lot of opportunities.
"If we work hard in our transition, when we are transitioning in attack and we feel we can put them under pressure around their speed to set and try and play around them.
"Hopefully they will snowball during the game and things will present themselves later in the game.
"So, working hard, getting into position quickly and being ambitious to take opportunities when they present themselves."
The opportunity is there to make the semi-finals, it's all to play for.
"The Sharks are traditionally a very strong team. That hasn't been touched on yet by the coach or anything. I'm not sure if it will be because it's a quarter-final and, in my opinion, if you start thinking about that too much .
"It might be in the back of your mind and it might create a bit of pressure for the lads so we are purely just focused on our preparation and then winning the quarterfinal and getting another week in the semi-final so.
"Honestly if we get our stuff right, I genuinely believe we can beat them."
Beating Sharks on home soil will be a tough task and to see Ian Costello namecheck Nankivell as a key part of the Munster collective, as a 'great leader'.
'It was nice to hear firstly but, to be honest, I wouldn't have ever looked at myself like that.
"It's something I'll dive a bit deeper into over the next the summer I'd say. Talk to a few people who have been in those positions before because it is hugely important for a team to be successful is to have good leaders. I'll try to find my own way of doing that.
"I kinda feel like I'm part of the cog but I'll challenge people and keep people accountable. I have a different experience coming from a different place that plays a different style of rugby so I feel like can be helpful at times, just challenging ideas and getting people to think outside of the box.
I guess I've never really thought about, well I've thought about leadership obviously and how I can influence people but probably not to that extent.
It's probably something that I've got to think about as I'm ageing a wee bit now and a few of those big guys are leaving.
"We need people that are going to step up and drive standards and be leaders and show the younger guys how to be a professional so it's definitely something since that conversation that I've been thinking about in the background."