Latest news with #KingsPark
Irish Times
21 hours ago
- General
- Irish Times
Unchanged Munster side for tough Sharks test in South Africa
URC: Sharks v Munster, Kings Park Stadium, 5.30pm, TG4 & Premier Sports 1 Munster have named an unchanged side for Saturday's URC quarter-final against Sharks at Kings Park in Durban. Thaakir Abrahams, Calvin Nash and Diarmuid Kilgallen start in the back three. Alex Nankivell and Tom Farrell, who has started every single game so far this season, continue their centre partnership with Craig Casey and Jack Crowley in the halfbacks. READ MORE Michael Milne, Niall Scannell and Stephen Archer pack down in the frontrow with Jean Kleyn and captain Tadhg Beirne in the engine room. Peter O'Mahony, John Hodnett and Gavin Coombes start in the backrow. Diarmuid Barron, Josh Wycherley, John Ryan provide the frontrow cover as Tom Ahern and Alex Kendellen complete the forward cover. Conor Murray, Rory Scannell and Mike Haley are the backline replacements, where Scannell is in line to make his 200th appearance for the province. It is a tough assignment for Munster, who will come up against a Sharks team with Springbok stars like Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and Ox Nche. Sharks: A Fassi; E Hooker, L Am, A Esterhuizen, M Mapimpi; Jordan Hendrikse, Jaden Hendrikse; O Nche, B Mbonambi, V Koch; E Etzebeth (capt), J Jenkins; J Venter, V Tshituka, S Kolisi. Replacements: F Mbatha, N Mchunu, H Jacobs, E Van Heerden, P Buthelezi, B Davids, F Venter, Y Penxe. Munster Rugby : T Abrahams; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, D Kilgallen; J Crowley, C Casey; M Milne, N Scannell, S Archer; J Kleyn, T Beirne (capt); P O'Mahony, J Hodnett, G Coombes. Replacements : D Barron, J Wycherley, J Ryan, T Ahern, A Kendellen, C Murray, R Scannell, M Haley. Referee: M Adamson (Scotland)
The Herald
3 days ago
- General
- The Herald
Home crowd will give Sharks bite, says Etzebeth
Home-ground advantage will give the Sharks a huge boost when they face Munster in a winner-takes-all United Rugby Championship quarterfinal showdown in Durban on Saturday, lock Eben Etzebeth says. The giant lock is raring to go at Kings Park Stadium after injuries kept him on the sidelines for extended periods during the Sharks' bid to lift silverware. An added incentive for the Sharks is that victory will earn them a crucial semifinal on home soil. Etzebeth says the Sharks' big 41-24 win over Munster in a league clash during October will count for nothing when the teams scrum down on Saturday. 'This season I have been frustrated by injuries,' Etzebeth said. 'With the concussion, there is no timeline to return. It depends on your symptoms and how you respond to certain treatments. 'That was the frustrating part, thinking you'd be back in a week or two, and then it is longer. 'I eventually returned and then picked up a hamstring injury and had to sit out a bit more. It was quite a frustrating time. 'But I am back and it was good to get my first 80 minutes under the belt against Scarlets. 'When you play 20 minutes here or 60 minutes there, it's good, but once you finally get that full 80 minutes of rugby, that is when you feel you are back in the mix. 'Hopefully, I can kick on from here and play a couple of games without any niggles or problems.' Etzebeth says it will require a supreme effort from the Sharks if they want to advance to the next round. 'This is the first time we are hosting a quarterfinal, so it is definitely an advantage,' he said. 'Two seasons ago, Munster played a semi and final away. 'They are used to playoff success and winning away from home in knockout games, which is important because what you did before does not count (any longer). 'It is a good opportunity for us to progress further in the competition. 'We have the home crowd advantage and we are doing it in front of our fans, so it's a huge bonus.' Sharks centre Andre Esterhuizen believes his team's razor-sharp attack holds the key to victory against the Irishmen. 'We have a lot of confidence going into this game with four good wins in a row,' he said. 'We haven't played our best rugby, but we know how to win ugly, especially at a wet Kings Park. 'It doesn't look wet, but the dew sets in quickly. It's like the field's been sprayed before kickoff. 'We never want to grind games out. The Sharks want to win them comfortably, like we know we can. 'We're getting better every week and we're confident we're close to clicking. 'Our defence shows how much we care. We've been solid and we want to explode on attack now, and maybe spoil the party.' Meanwhile, former Sharks wing Thaakir Abrahams returns to Durban for Saturday's showdown. Abrahams made 23 appearances for the Sharks from 2020 to 2024, while having a stint with French club Lyon in 2023-24. The speedster then joined Munster on a two-year deal and has started seven URC matches this season. Munster squad: Forwards: Tom Ahern, Stephen Archer, Diarmuid Barron, Lee Barron, Tadhg Beirne, Gavin Coombes, Ronan Foxe, John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen, Jean Kleyn, Jeremy Loughman, Michael Milne, Jack O'Donoghue, Peter O'Mahony, John Ryan, Niall Scannell, Fineen Wycherley, Josh Wycherley. Backs: Thaakir Abrahams, Tony Butler, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Tom Farrell, Mike Haley, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Conor Murray, Alex Nankivell, Calvin Nash, Seán O'Brien, Paddy Patterson, Rory Scannell, Andrew Smith. URC quarterfinals: Friday: Glasgow Warriors v Stormers (Glasgow). Saturday: Bulls v Edinburgh (Pretoria), Leinster v Scarlets (Dublin), Sharks v Munster (Durban). The Herald
Irish Times
4 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.'
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Hughes starts at Sharks in Scarlets play-off bid
United Rugby Championship: Sharks v ScarletsVenue: Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban Date: Saturday, 17 May Kick off: 18:30 BSTCoverage: Watch live S4C coverage via iPlayer and BBC Sport website and app. Highlights on the BBC Sport website and app. Scrum-half Archie Hughes will make only his fourth senior start as Scarlets bid to reach the United Rugby Championship (URC) play-offs in their final regular season game at Sharks on 22-year-old - whose only start this season was in the European Challenge Cup at Gloucester - comes in for injured Wales international Gareth Davies. Centre Joe Roberts, who also left the field in discomfort in last weekend's stunning win at Lions, has recovered to make his 50th appearance for the Scarlets, who make one other Ryan Elias rotates in for Marnus van der Merwe, who was this week named in an upcoming Springboks' alignment Africa lock Eben Etzebeth is fit to captain Sharks having recovered from a knock to the leg in their victory over coach John Plumtree though makes four changes to his pack, including the return of international prop Ox Nche, though Sprinkbok legend Siya Kolisi drops out of the 23. By the time Scarlets visit Sharks on Saturday evening, their top-eight spot may already be it stands, after successive wins against Ospreys, Dragons, Leinster and Lions, Dwayne Peel's side know a single match point in Durban would be enough to extend their season."There are a lot of things that can happen before our game, but the key for us is that our destiny is in our own hands," said Peel. "The Sharks have been going well, they are a team stacked full of Springboks so to get what we need is going to take a big effort." Even if Scarlets get nothing from their final game, they will qualify for the knockouts should Edinburgh fail to get maximum points and either Cardiff or Munster Benetton pick up two losing points and Scarlets achieve no points, it would come down to points difference - and Scarlets have a 130-point advantage over their Italian rivals as it are fourth in the table, already guaranteed a home quarter-final - but will be keen to leapfrog Glasgow one point above them as that is likely to mean an away semi-final in Pretoria as opposed to a trip to Durban side have won their last three URC matches since their only home defeat of the season, 7-10 against Leinster in March."The challenge for us is matching their physicality, that will be key," added Peel."But as much as knowing the quality in their side, this is about ourselves, we are comfortable with how we want to play and it is about being able to replicate last week's performance this week. "We are prepping as normal, we want to try and get a result, we want to keep the momentum we have built having won our last four games." Scarlets have not won five in a row since November 2017, while last weekend's win at Lions ended a run of five successive defeats on visits to South Africa. Sharks: Aphelele Fassi; Ethan Hooker, Jurenzo Julius, Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi; Siya Masuku, Jaden Hendrikse; Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Vincent Koch, Eben Etzebeth (capt), Emile van Heerden, Tino Mavesere, Vincent Tshituka, Phepsi Fez Mbatha, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Hanro Jacobs, Jason Jenkins, Nick Hatton, Bradley Davids, Francois Venter, Yaw Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Joe Roberts, Johnny Williams, Ellis Mee; Sam Costelow, Archie Hughes; Alec Hepburn, Ryan Elias, Henry Thomas, Alex Craig, Sam Lousi, Vaea Fifita, Josh Macleod (capt), Taine Marnus van der Merwe, Kemsley Mathias, Sam Wainwright, Dan Davis, Jarrod Taylor, Efan Jones, Ioan Lloyd, Macs Andrea Piardi (FIR)Assistant referees: Griffin Colby & Stephan Geldenhuys (SARU)TMO: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
Perth Now
11-05-2025
- General
- Perth Now
How to bring a touch of Kings Spark to your garden
As a gardener I often use the phrase 'the right plant in the right spot.' It basically means that if you give a plant what it needs as far as sun, soil and water go, then the hard work is done and it will thrive. To celebrate its 60th year, Kings Park and Botanic Garden have released a list of their favourite fail-safe WA tried, tested, bred and grown plants and they are absolutely beauties. Buying plants that have been bred by Kings Park ensures you get ones grown for your garden. They will make your outdoor space look amazing and save you money, as you know they will be successful. The range of plants is wide and diverse, including grevilleas, hakeas and vibrant kangaroo paws. But it's the range of rare wonders that I really loved as they add a sense of the exotic to the garden and makes it feel like you're pushing the limits of gardening, when the truth is it couldn't be simpler. Buying plants that have been bred by Kings Park ensures you get ones grown for your garden. Credit: Adobe Stock / Maja - We all know banksia, but the new cultivar B. ashbyi 'dwarf' is a showstopper. It grows to a neat 1.5m–2m in all directions and its blue-green serrated leaves form a dense, rounded shape that you can't help but notice. It flowers from autumn all the way through to spring with fat 10cm wide and 15cm high orange flower spikes that are wonderful food for native bees and birds, including honey eaters. Growing this banksia couldn't be easier, as it thrives in the sun, tolerating some shade, prefers a sandy soil but can tolerate something loamy. Once established it won't need watering. The only thing that will kill this plant is too much love from overwatering and root rot. If you want to make this shrub even denser than its natural habit, pruning at a young age and the removal of spent flowers will help promote next year's growth, but are optional to its success. Growing banksia couldn't be easier, as it thrives in the sun, tolerating some shade, preferring sandy soil. Credit: Adobe Stock / Ariestia - Pimelea ferruginea, or Magenta Mist, is a vibrant, in-your-face magenta that will add a striking touch to your garden. The flowers — and there are a lot of them — come in spring where they will attract lots of beneficial insects and butterflies, which is great for the biodiversity of your garden. This smaller plant only gets to 1m and works well at the front of a garden bed or even in a pot. It has small, deep-green glossy leaves that set off its bright flowers. Tolerant of coastal conditions, this plant is very similar to the banksia, where it prefers full sun and free-draining soil. Maintenance is low, but you will get a bushier, denser plant if you remove the flowers once finished and fertilise with a native-specific fertiliser in late winter, ready for growth and blooms in spring. The Rosy rice flower (Latin name - Pimelea ferruginea). Credit: Nahhan / Getty Images/iStockphoto If you want an unusual ground cover, plant Goodenia varia. It's native to coastal communities from the Eucla to south-eastern South Australia, north-western Victoria and far south-western NSW. In WA, though, it is classified as a priority two species, which indicates it's only been recorded in a few locations, so if you start growing one you'll definitely be able to show off about it! It's quite a small plant, only growing to 40cm in length, making it perfect for cascading down a slope, softening rocky outcrops and adding another dimension to a native pot arrangement where it will spill over the edges. The leaves are almost round and toothed on the edges. The best part about this plant is it will flower almost all of the year and the blooms are a great way to attract native butterflies and insects. Grow Goodenia in full sun or part shade in a variety of soil types, as long as they are free-draining.
