Latest news with #AlexNankivell
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Munster not fixating on Sharks' class
Munster centre Alex Nankivell says the team are deliberately not thinking too much about the 'world-class' Sharks ahead of Saturday's URC quarter-final showdown in Durban. King's Park is expected to have over 50,000 supporters packed in for a highly anticipated clash that sees Munster go up against a team stacked with South African internationals of the calibre of Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth. However, Kiwi Nankivell, who has been one of Munster's most consistent performers during a difficult season, says there has been a definite policy within camp all week of focusing on their own strengths rather than dwelling on what dangers the Sharks possess. Alex Nankivell in action for Munster. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile 'They have a load of world class players, a lot of Springboks,' admitted Nankivell. 'The Sharks are traditionally a very strong team but 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. 'Honestly if we get our stuff right, I genuinely believe we can beat them.'
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Irish Times
How rugby could take a leaf out of NFL's book regarding off-season
Are you 'all rugby'd out'? That's how a former international referee, who Johnny Watterson bumped in to recently, described himself, this season, just like last, having 'a never-ending feel to it' . If either Leinster or Munster reach the URC final, that will mean their campaigns, which began in September, will stretch to June 14th - and after that it'll be a Lions tour or Irish duty for a good chunk of their players. Johnny reckons rugby could learn from the NFL and their nine-week off-season programme which is designed to ease the workload on their crew. Alex Nankivell is, though, very much hoping Munster's season will extend to June 14, Johnny talking to him ahead of their quarter-final against the Sharks in Durban. And John O'Sullivan hears from Rónan Kelleher who was thrilled to receive that Lions call-up , but his focus for now is on Leinster's meeting with Scarlets. In soccer, we preview the Republic of Ireland's game away to Turkey this evening in the women's Nations League, and Gavin Cummiskey brings news of the men's squad named by Heimir Hallgrímsson for the friendlies against Senegal and Luxembourg. In his mid-season report, Gavin also looks at Shamrock Rovers' campaign so far , the table-toppers driven by the era-defining trinity of Roberto Lopes, Dylan Watts and Graham Burke. In hurling, Joe Canning has his doubts about the wisdom of playing Sunday's Leinster final between Galway and Kilkenny in Croke Park, but that aside, 'if you're a Galway supporter, you'd be hopeful' , their win over Dublin in Parnell Park 'a big result on several levels'. But? 'This Kilkenny team, pound-for-pound, are still as good as any team out there,' he says. READ MORE Paul Keane talks to New York's Tipperary-born hurler Tom O'Meara in the build-up to tomorrow's Lory Meaghar Cup final against Cavan, while Ciarán Kirk has a word with Derry's Cormac O'Doherty ahead of their Christy Ring Cup final meeting with London. In her column, Sonia O'Sullivan writes about Achilles injuries, the ones 'that all athletes dread to even think about' . Just such a blight has Norwegian star Jakob Ingebrigtsen off-track at the moment, and cost Ciara Mageean an Olympic appearance last year, Sonia no stranger herself to the scourge. And in horse racing, after the case involving the Ted Walsh-trained Ta Na La, the horse suspended for breaching the 'non-trier' rules, Brian O'Connor believes it's time for the sport to 'professionalise' and ditch its 'outmoded stewarding model'. Otherwise, the betting public will remain less than reassured. TV Watch : Shane Lowry and Leona Maguire are back in action today in the second rounds of the Memorial (Sky Sports Golf, 4.30) and US Open (Sky Sports Mix, 5.0), Lowry in contention after opening with a 69 , but Maguire, who carded a 76, well off the pace in Wisconsin. Later, the Republic of Ireland's women are away to Turkey in the Nations League (RTÉ2, 6pm) and at 7.45, Bohemians host Derry City in the Premier Division (Virgin Media Two, 7.45).
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Nankivell ready to step into departing leaders' shoes
Munster's ability to negotiate the pressure-filled challenge of reaching the URC play-offs has given Alex Nankivell the belief his side has the right tools to go into Saturday's quarter-final at the Sharks with confidence. Having dug a hole for themselves with back-to-back league defeats following their Champions Cup quarter-final exit at Bordeaux-Begles last month, Munster rescued their campaign to secure a place in the knockout rounds with bonus-point wins on successive weekends over Ulster and Benetton. The upshot has been a trip to South Africa and a serious examination of their title credentials at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday evening when they face a powerhouse Sharks side brimming with Springbok quality. Yet the New Zealander believes the switch to a knockout rugby mentality for those final two matches of the regular season has primed Munster well for the task ahead. 'I think we've learned a lot from those games,' Nankivell said. 'We weren't perfect in both of those games but the stuff you learn through game management, moments becoming so much more important in these games, it comes down to the little moments and how many you can win. 'So we definitely can take a lot of confidence that we have been there, even though they weren't finals in the last couple of weeks, and learn from those to know that we can go deep. That 'been there, done that' kind of thing will give us confidence, definitely, going into Saturday.' The former Chiefs centre, who moved to Ireland in the summer following the 2023 URC title success, said he had not been aware of Munster's winless record at Kings Park. A 22-22 draw came in their championship-winning campaign two years ago, in between two heavy losses, a 50-35 Champions Cup Round of 16 defeat in April 2023 and a 41-24 loss last October. 'I didn't really know that, to be honest. Obviously, the URC is young and we haven't been playing over here too often but the Sharks are traditionally a very strong team. That hasn't been touched on yet from the coaches and I'm not sure it will be, because it's a quarter final. 'In my opinion, if you start thinking about that too much it might be in the back of your mind and might create a bit of pressure for the lads. So we are purely just focused on our preparation and then winning the quarter-final so that we get another week in the semi-final. Obviously it's a thing but if we get our stuff right, I genuinely believe we can beat them and break that.' Those are the kind of words which back up Ian Costello's assertion after the Ulster victory that Nankivell was one of the 'great leaders' poised to fill the vacuum about to be created by the departure of dressing-room veterans Stephen Archer, Dave Kilcoyne, Conor Murray, and Peter O'Mahony. Now 28, and with a new two-year deal signed in December to extend his stay at Munster to at least the summer of 2027, Nankivell's imagination about his leadership potential has been sparked by the interim head coach's statement. 'It was nice (to hear) firstly,' he said. 'To be honest, I wouldn't have ever looked at myself like that, I feel like I'm a part of the cog but I'll challenge people and keep people accountable. 'And then 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. Read More Calvin Nash aims to raise the bar with Munster at business end of the season '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. 'It's something I'll dive a bit deeper into over 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.' A reunion with incoming head coach Clayton McMillan, his former Chiefs boss, in pre-season could well accelerate the process. It was Nankivell whom McMillan sought out for advice when he was in the frame to be a potential permanent successor to Graham Rowntree and the pair chatted in person when he visited the High Performance Centre during a Chiefs bye week in the Super Rugby season at the end of March. 'He was just asking about the place and he was being really honest around would he be a good fit for the people we have here and I said, 'yeah 100%', he'd be awesome. 'Myself and John Ryan, being Chiefs men, we got to catch up with him when he came over and he was just asking questions about it, talking about things so he get a good grasp on where we were at and a few ideas that he could potentially implement. 'It's a pretty cool sign. I know the lads said they were amazed that he came over in his week off to do that, so it shows where he wants to be in terms of his preparation when he turns up to the place. It's pretty impressive.'
Irish Times
2 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Munster's Alex Nankivell: ‘We need people that are going to step up and drive standards'
A few weeks ago, Munster interim coach Ian Costello proclaimed him as one of the 'great leaders' in his squad. Because New Zealand-born Alex Nankivell, the centre with game, has emerged as one of the province's driving forces. Accolades of leadership within the Munster squad stick easily with players such as Peter O'Mahony and Conor Murray , so Nankivell's elevation is a measure of how the 28-year-old has contributed over the course of the couple of seasons that he has been in Ireland. 'It was nice [to hear] firstly,' he says. 'To be honest, I wouldn't have ever looked at myself like that. I kind of feel like I'm part of the cogs 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 I can be helpful at times, just challenging ideas and getting people to think outside of the box. 'I've thought about leadership obviously and how I can influence people but probably not to that extent. It's 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 something since that conversation that I've been thinking about in the background.' READ MORE Nankivell is also one of the players who has first-hand knowledge of Clayton McMillan , who was appointed as the province's new head coach on a three-year contract. The New Zealander will take up his role in July on completion of the 2025 Super Rugby season, where he coaches the Chiefs. Nankivell spent five seasons with the Chiefs after making his debut in 2017. He was also selected for the Maori All Blacks during his tenure at the club. Alex Nankivell in training with Munster. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho 'Yeah, it's pretty cool,' says Nankivell. 'When I found out he was in the shortlist to get the job, I was quite excited by that fact. He's a great man. He's quite a reserved guy, he'll kind of do his work in the background but he's really good at managing people, managing players and getting everyone really aligned. 'Also at the Chiefs, the cool thing I found with him as a player is he wants to empower you to be the best you can be. Every player has got different strengths and he really wants to bring them out and let you express yourself, so that will be huge for us. 'Also, his standards. He challenges people. He will challenge players, coaches and staff around what we're doing in the building and how we can be better and how we can make this team better, so I'm really excited for that, and I think he will fit in really well. I think his values and who he is as a man will align with Munster and the people that are in this club.' Nankivell believes Clayton is the right fit for the kind of culture Munster try to instil into players, an aspect of their game they will look for this weekend in a challenging United Rugby Championship quarter-final against the Sharks in Durban. Clayton McMillan will soon take charge of Munster. Photograph: Aaron Gillions/Photosport/Inpho A former police officer in Rotorua and a Bay of Plenty number eight, McMillan is also of Maori descent and has a strong reputation for commitment. On a week off from the Chiefs, he arrived over to Limerick in March for a flying visit during which he met the Munster squad for the first time. 'He's massive on culture, massive on the environment that we have,' says Nankivell. 'To him, the environment will drive our performance. It will drive our standards at training and our performances at training and ultimately how we perform in the games, so I'm sure he'll look to create a real connection around us as a team and the Munster community around the place, which will be cool, to get out in the province, meet the people, meet the supporters. 'I think in preseason there will be a little bit of that stuff, so he'll be huge for our culture. I know the lads said they were amazed that he came over in his week off to do that, so it shows where he wants to be in terms of his preparation when he turns up to the place. It's pretty impressive.' Munster kick-off against Sharks on Saturday in Kings Park at 5.30pm.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Munster need a specific 2024/25 'first' if they are to beat Sharks
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."
