If you were to make a list of the Munster positives from last week's 38-26 defeat to Glasgow Warriors, two things would be certain.
First, it would be a very small list, and second, Calvin Nash's name would be at the top of it.
Having spent much of his Munster career waiting behind the likes of Keith Earls and Andrew Conway for a chance on the wing, the 25-year-old has grabbed his opportunity to impress this season. When Graham Rowntree confirms his team for Saturday's Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 meeting with the Sharks in Durban later this afternoon, it's a safe bet that Nash will be starting in the 14 shirt.
The Limerick man has had to be patient in his career. Having made his Champions Cup debut in a dead rubber against the Ospreys in January 2020, he had to wait almost three years to experience a taste of the competition again, but has started each of the province's four games in Europe this season.
Four weeks ago, he scored two tries and was Player of the Match in their win against the Scarlets, while even in the disappointing loss to the Glasgow Warriors last weekend he was the standout from a Munster point of view, carrying for 11 metres and beating seven defenders, with his try late on securing them a bonus-point.
Munster's use of their wingers has been one of the big changes to their style since Rowntree become head coach, with Mike Prendergast running the attack.
Both Nash and Shane Daly - who has been the regular starter on the left wing this season - have consistently been drifting in off the touchline and getting involved with play infield, and it was from this license that Nash made his incisive break through the Glasgow defence on Saturday.
"Like, the attacking rugby, I've enjoyed it and it's not as much fun chasing box kicks," he says.
"As wingers with Prendy [Prendergast], we're allowed to float around a lot more and get more involved and Prendy has kind of helped me with my involvements in the game as well, that would have been a work-on of mine since I was younger, just trying to get involved in the game in attack more so, just offer up.
"It's not the old fashioned way, where you just get on the end of the pass and score, it's showing up off of nine and 10 and there's a lot of different places where a winger can actually fit in, in both the Irish way they play in attack and the way Prendy wants to attack as well.
"So it's nice having that freedom and just trying to impact the game that way."
He's scored five tries this season, but even prior to getting off the mark for Munster in the campaign his form had been recognised by the Irish coaches, who first included him on the Emerging Ireland tour of South Africa, before bringing him into the senior squad for the Autumn Nations Series.
By that point, Nash had still only featured once in the Champions Cup, but with Andrew Conway on the long-term injury list, he's settled into the first team this season, starting each of the four pool games against Northampton and Toulouse.
He says there was a noticeable step-up in intensity. "Like, URC is a great competition but obviously when there's that European buzz around, teams go to another level.
"So especially the games that we've had, the Toulouse games and Northampton games, they were some of the hardest games I've played physically, and you're out of breath a good bit more than some of the URC games that you might play.
"Our training this year has gone to another level as well so that could potentially have made it a tiny bit easier of a transition, but I wouldn't say it's a massive difference."
The province have have put a big emphasis on fitness this season in order to match their up-tempo brand of rugby, and their lungs will be tested in Durban on Saturday, with temperatures of 25C expected when their meeting with the Sharks kicks off at 1.30pm local time.
"Yeah look, it's a massive challenge and it will be our first time as well playing a South African side in a knockout game down in Durban, so a massive challenge for everyone.
"There's a good bit of travel, the sun and all that as well is another factor but look, training has been going very well this week so we'll take it as it comes.
"Look, heat is just another factor but we'll have to get used to it, there's no point dwelling on what we're going to face.
"We have to hit it face on, that's just what we've got to do. It's just another factor, another challenge," he added.
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