Latest news with #IanCostello
Irish Independent
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Munster name unchanged side for crucial URC quarter-final at the ‘Shark Tank'
Ian Costello has named an unchanged starting line-up for Munster's crunch URC quarter-final against the Sharks in Durban tomorrow.
BBC News
5 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Munster unchanged again for Sharks quarter-final
Munster interim boss Ian Costello has again named an unchanged team for his side's United Rugby Championship quarter-final against the Sharks in Durban (17:30 BST). Jack Crowley is retained at fly-half having overcome a rib injury in recent weeks, with former Ireland captain Peter O'Mahony and Stephen Archer are named in the pack in what could be their final game before retirement. Centre Rory Scannell is set to make his 200th Munster appearance off the bench. Also named among the replacements is former Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray, who will leave the club this summer. The Sharks, who beat Munster 41-24 in Durban in October, name a team loaded with South Africa internationals, including Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Ox Nche, Makazole Mapimpi and Lukhanyo Am. Sharks: Fassi; Hooker, Am, Esterhuizen, Mapimpi; Jordan Hendrikse, Jaden Hendrikse; Nche, Mbonambi, Koch; Etzebeth (capt), Jenkins; Venter, Tshituka, Kolisi. Replacements: Mbatha, Mchunu, Jacobs, Van Heerden, Buthelezi, Davids, Venter, Abrahams; Nash, Farrell, Nankivell, Kilgallen; Crowley, Craig Casey; Milne, Niall Scannell, Archer; Kleyn, Beirne (capt); O'Mahony, Hodnett, Barron, Wycherley, Ryan, Ahern, Kendellen, Murray, Scannell, Haley.
Irish Times
13 hours 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 Examiner
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Munster's healthy problems as Costello ponders whether to stick or twist
It's stick or twist time for the Munster management as they prepare to name their matchday squad for Saturday's URC quarter-final at the Sharks. Munster's place in the play-offs was booked courtesy of back-to-back bonus-point home wins over Ulster and Benetton in the final rounds of the regular season, a return to form based on consistency of selection with interim head coach Ian Costello able to field the same starting 15 and eight replacements in consecutive matches for the first time all season. Never was that luxury more welcome with Munster in metaphorical knockout rugby mode and the prospect of no Champions Cup rugby next season a real possibility if the required top-eight finish was not nailed down. Yet with actual win-or-go-home rugby now looming and a powerful Sharks side lying in wait on home turf at Kings Park in Durban, Costello and his assistants are faced with the question of whether to go again with that same, trusted 23, or pick a more tailored team for the first of what is hoped will be three play-off rounds. Munster have all 23 of that matchday squad available after fly-half Jack Crowley and hooker Niall Scannell overcame knocks. And the 32-player squad which arrived in Durban on Tuesday afternoon has been boosted by the return of fit-again frontline front-rowers, hooker Diarmuid Barron and loosehead prop Jeremy Loughman. That both absences had been impressively catered for by Leinster loanees and permanent summer arrivals Lee Barron, who replaced Scannell against Benetton, and loosehead Michael Milne, who has started the last three games, adds to this healthy conundrum. 'Selection is probably a mixture of a science and an art, isn't it?', Costello said. 'As a coaching group we have long conversations, in-depth conversations. We consider so many different elements when it comes to selection. 'Cohesion is definitely one. There's certain teams around the world that would put a huge emphasis and a huge focus on cohesion. We had cohesion the last two games, we were in a position to select the same 23, but that's got to be right for the next game coming up. 'It's that balance, again, between who's been training well, who's really fresh, who looks like they might add something for the game. And the game's 23 people now, that's the one thing for sure. We saw Bath over the weekend bring people off the bench to win a trophy and it's worth considering how we use our 23 the best way we possibly can. 'That's something we've been in a really good position to do with our squad being healthier. So it's that balance of cohesion versus how we are feeling around how competitive guys are at the moment, and who could bring the most from the start and who could bring the most off the bench. 'It's a fascinating tactical consideration that's emerging across all big games at the moment.'
Irish Times
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Munster will need to dip into their reserves of emotional energy in Durban
If Munster are to defy the odds against a Sharks side studded with World Cup winners and X factor in front of a 54,000-capacity crowd in next Saturday's BKT URC quarter-final at Kings Park in Durban, as ever on such occasions the collective performance will have to add up to more than the sum of their parts. To that end, Munster will again need dip into their reserves of emotional energy. Munster's history is, unfortunately at times, sprinkled with examples of them uniting in times of need, most notably in their Champions Cup win over Glasgow at a crammed Thomond Park in October 2016 the day after Anthony Foley's funeral. More recently, the team and supporters were united in their last two regular-season games against Ulster and Benetton to ensure a fitting farewell for Peter O'Mahony, Conor Murray and Stephen Archer, and secure the two wins required to qualify for these play-offs and next season's Champions Cup. That trio's Munster finale will remain a factor, and so will paying tribute to Michelle Payne, wife of former fullback Shaun and a one-time employee of the Munster Branch, and Sheelagh Foley, wife of former player Brendan and mother of 'Axel'. READ MORE In extending 'our deepest sympathies' to the two families, interim head coach Ian Costello said: 'They were two very important people in the Munster community and a massive loss to us this week, and that's very close to our hearts.' Speaking from Durban after the squad's arrival there, Costello added: 'Brendan rang me Sunday morning to almost apologise for not coming and wished us the best. 'Obviously Michelle and Shaun were huge in the club as well. That's really important to the group this week especially as we're in South Africa.' As Shaun Payne was fullback on the 2006 Heineken Cup-winning and also played for the Sharks, tributes to both families are being discussed. 'Rugby is a very, very emotional game and I think any contact sport is,' said Costello. 'People talk about physically and mentally where you have to be. I think the third part of that is emotionally: are you ready to invest everything you have and leave everything out on the pitch? [ Jack Crowley passed fit for Munster's journey to Durban Opens in new window ] 'That's you as an individual and you as a team. And when emotionally you're connected to a purpose or to a cause that comes out in any team sport, especially one as physically demanding as rugby, and then when you add in pride in terms of our province, our identity and what we stand for, what we represent. How much we want to make people proud of our performance, so they can identify with who we are and what we're about. I think all of that amplifies a lot of the good that's there already and a lot of sports teams do it really well. 'We really leaned into it the last couple of weeks to represent people that we really care about and what they mean to the organisation and that came out in the performance. We will continue that on this week as well.' Sean O'Brien of Munster tries to tackle Aphelele Fassi of Sharks at Kings Park, Durban on October 26th, 2024. Photograph: Darren Stewart/Inpho That said, utilising emotion is a balancing act. 'I won't go into what was said but Tadhg (Beirne) and Peter (O'Mahony) over the last couple of weeks, supported by other key guys like Jack (Crowley) and Craig (Casey), spoke so well about using that emotion but also making sure it's balanced with a performance that's built on execution and accuracy and being really smart. 'Same thing as discipline, if you're over-aroused you give away too many penalties but you want to be playing right on that edge. When you've got coaches who are on it the way they are on it, and senior players that have lived it so many times, that really helps.' Although conditions will not be unduly warm at the 6.30pm kick-off local time (5.30pm Irish), Costello said the humidity will make the ball very slippery. 'We'll train appropriately, in having the ball greasy at training and making sure that if the handling skills are difficult that we've contingencies around where we play the game and how we play the game.' Mike Haley of Munster and Eben Etzebeth of Sharks at Kings Park, Durban. Photograph: Darren Stewart/Inpho Munster will be seeking to win three matches in succession for the first time this season but touring also tightens the squad and they lifted the URC trophy two seasons ago by ending long unbeaten home runs at Glasgow, Leinster and the Bulls. The Sharks finished third with 62 points, compared to just 25 points when 14th last season, making them the most improved side this season. 'We obviously know that the quality is there. What we've seen over the last few weeks is how good they are off the ball, a team that's highly motivated, that scramble well, they're off the ground quickly. 'If you make a line break it takes a lot of finishing before you score. That's one of the key differences that we've picked up. Their work off the ball and their non-talent stuff is in a really good place in the last six to eight games anyway,' said Costello, who also singled out the Sharks' ability in transition. Costello maintained this game 'absolutely isn't a free shot'. 'Now that we're here, we're very, very ambitious on what we want to achieve,' he added. He believes the travelling squad is stronger than when beaten 41-24 by the Sharks in Durban last October in what proved to be Graham Rowntree's last game as head coach but admitted: 'We need to get to our best or very, very close to it. We need to be accurate. We need to execute well and physically, mentally and emotionally we need to be at the right pitch. 'If we go out and play as ourselves, if we're clear about our DNA, our identity, we want to play high-paced rugby, we want to keep the ball alive, we want to play with really, really quick rucks, to play in the right parts of the field, do that with a platform of having a really solid set-piece, and then apply our line speed and our contact work; if we can be true to our identity around those, that I think would beat anybody on their day.'
