Calvin Nash aims to raise the bar with Munster at business end of the season

Munster face the Sharks in the URC quarter-finals on Saturday. 

Calvin Nash believes his performance against La Rochelle in the Champions Cup was one of his best ever for Munster but feels he has not hit the same heights since that game. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Calvin Nash is on a mission to be more impactful in the URC knockout rounds after admitting he has not been happy with his recent performances.

The 27-year-old Ireland wing has been one of Munster’s most consistent performers over the past three seasons, form recognised in the shape of nine Ireland caps. Yet Nash feels he has fallen from the high benchmark he set for himself in the Champions Cup knockout win at La Rochelle eight weeks ago and is determined to return to the levels he expects of himself when Munster go to Kings Park this Saturday for their URC quarter-final against South African heavyweights the Sharks.

“I haven’t been too happy with my performances if I am being honest with you,” Nash said. “I feel like there is still probably a bit in me.

“I want to have a lot more standout performances but look, I'm obviously not getting frustrated with it. I feel like I am doing my part for the team, but standards-wise I would prefer to be pushing myself out there and standing out a bit more.” 

Nash even pinpointed the areas he wants to improve and how he has gone about rectifying the situation.

“I think a few weeks ago I dropped off in beating defenders and the first man, which is something I felt like I was quite good at before.

“For whatever reason I felt like my carrying wasn’t as good as what it had been, so from the Benetton game, I just tried to go back to basics and focus on that – don’t be thinking about other things and just scanning a bit better and communicating a bit better.

“I have tried to just narrow my focus, work on my aerial work and beating people and just backing myself with my reads in defence – stuff that I feel like I am good at.” 

When it is pointed out he is being particularly self-critical, Nash revealed it was part of his effort to return to the peak of his powers.

“I actually thought the La Rochelle game was one of my best games that I’ve ever played for Munster.

“I’m just being critical that I want, especially towards the end of the season, I want to have as good games as I possibly can do. I’m just trying to be hard on myself and want to push myself a bit more to get better and to be the overall player that I know I can be, and not have any regrets.

“So, yeah, I was just putting it out there being hard on myself. To be honest I don’t think I’ve been playing poorly, I just have more in me.” 

A strong end to the season would surely see Nash add to those Ireland caps with a place in the touring squad to Georgia and Portugal this summer and the Limerick star said: “Yeah, it is a big goal. You set out goals at the start of every season and you don’t really know what way the season is going to go for you.

“It is a big goal to get on the tour this summer but being honest, like I said, I need to get my performances up again and hopefully fly into this weekend.” 

Nash has personally enjoyed mixed fortunes at Kings Park, with a regular season draw there securing Munster’s play-off place in their title-winning campaign two seasons ago coming three weeks after a humbling 50-35 Champions Cup Round of 16 loss to the Sharks.

Munster also lost heavily in Durban last October but Nash has experienced victory as an Ireland player, three months earlier when Ciaran Frawley’s drop goal secured a series-tying win over the Springboks in the second Test against the world champions.

“The games over here are some of the hardest games you’ll play in the URC,” Nash said.

“Even last summer, some of the hardest internationals I’ve played. You know you have to step up a bit here and it always takes a bit extra to win down here. That’s what we are targeting here, trying to get the most out of ourselves.” 

The wing added: “Yeah, I’ve won there. It’s obviously tough as well. We’ve only got a draw there so it will be a first time for us if we win this weekend. But being honest with you, we just go out and play it like it is, you know, play it like it’s any other game.

“At the end of the day, anyone can win, anything can happen and you’ve just got to play what’s in front of you. There’s no point looking back at different teams and what has happened before, I feel.”