Kiwi Nacewa ‘remarkable player’
Former Blues stalwart Isa Nacewa has been hailed as ‘‘selflessness personified’’ by an Irish rugby legend after leading Leinster to the European Champions Cup semifinals.
Nacewa is on track for a fourth European title in his second stint in Dublin after Leinster earned a home semifinal against Welsh champions Scarlets.
Tony Ward, a former Ireland and British and Irish Lions first five-eighth, paid Nacewa the ‘‘selflessness personified’’ tribute in his Irish Independent column after Leinster’s 30-19 quarterfinal win over two-time champions Saracens last weekend.
Nacewa – a European Cup winner in 2009, 2011, 2012 before a brief stint on the Blues’ back room staff – has rolled back the years, at 35, as Leinster’s captain and second five-eighth.
He was named in Planet Rugby’s Champions Cup Team of the Week. The international rugby website stated: ‘‘Just a remarkable player. Nacewa has generally been used as a fullback or wing for the Irish province but, at the age of 35, has made the switch to centre seamlessly.’’
Leinster now have the incentive of equalling the record for most European Champions Cup titles if they win a fourth crown this year, joining Toulouse at the top of the totem.
Nacewa and Irish internationals Jonathan Sexton, Cian Healy and Devin Toner are on course for their fourth individual winners’ medals.
Nacewa, a one-cap international with Fiji, admitted the memory of losing last year’s European Champions Cup semifinal to French side Clermont – and the spur of Ireland’s recent Six Nations Grand Slam victory – were driving Leinster.
We’ve a really motivated squad,’’ the Aucklander told the Irish Mirror.
‘‘They’re really hungry, a lot of guys coming off a Grand Slam and adding another level of intensity to the team.
‘‘And we’re a strong squad. There are a lot of guys who weren’t playing tonight who would have been itching to be there.
‘‘We’ve talked about it [the Clermont defeat] a lot and off-season, we’ve learned from it.’’
Nacewa said some of Leinster’s younger players, including test tyros Dan Leavy and James Ryan, took on those lessons and ended up winning a Grand Slam.
‘‘They come back here and the hunger’s huge. We learned from those places we fell down last year, we get up and go again and the young guys add a huge level of enthusiasm.
‘‘We took a big step tonight to earn another 80 minutes of footie. It’s knockout rugby. There’s no room for any more mistakes.’’
Leinster are also leading their Pro14 competition pool – by three points from the Scarlets – so remain on track for two trophies in 2018.
‘‘There’s been a feeling throughout the squad, in both competitions, all year,’’ Nacewa said.
‘‘Everybody who steps in has a huge responsibility when pulling on a Leinster jersey. You have to keep those standards up every year.
‘‘There’s a lot of enthusiasm. A lot of the young guys have played a lot of games and need to keep pushing on.’’