Not so long ago, Max Nagy was playing university rugby before moving on to the Welsh Premiership.
Only last term, he was lining up in the semi-professional tier.
But when the Ospreys take on Leicester Tigers in the European Champions Cup on Sunday, the 23-year-old could go head to head with a player feted as the premier full-back on the planet.
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Leicester Tigers and England’s Freddie Steward was recently named at No. 15 in World Rugby’s dream team of the year. The Times declared: “There could be few quibbles at his inclusion: Steward is officially the best full-back in the world.” The London media generally refer to the 6ft 5in youngster as Safe Hands, so assured is he under the high ball.
Quite an opportunity for England-born Nagy to compare notes, then.
“Playing against Freddie Steward would be a good test for me,” the 6ft 4in Ospreys’ last line of defence said at the region’s media call this week. “But I’m not too worried about individual battles within a team game.
“He’s done incredibly well for himself over the past 12 to 18 months, so you have to credit him. But I’m just there to do a job for my team and put in a performance.”
The Ospreys will hope ex-Swansea University student Nagy can reproduce the form he showed against Glasgow Warriors earlier in the campaign when he ruled the skies himself and made several piercing breaks. Technically he impressed with his ability to soar into the air and twist to protect the ball after taking it. One run out of defence saw him surge fully 50 metres upfield. Had Keelan Giles not scored twice, Nagy may have been named man of the match.
The rangy former sports and exercise student once tried his luck as a fly-half at Northampton Saints, the Tigers’ great east Midlands rivals. Then only 16, he was let go on the grounds of being too small to make it as a professional player. Evidently, a growth spurt unfolded soon after.
He plays down the significance of his Saints connection for this weekend, saying: “I followed a bit of Northampton, because that’s where I’m from. But I don’t read too much into it.
“It was part of my childhood and was great. But at the weekend we have a job to do with the team that I play for, which is Ospreys.
“This is my fifth year in Wales — three years of studies, then last year. I’ve been here a while. I love Swansea. It’s a great city and a great place to play rugby.”
Powerful full-backs who can leap high into the air are not exactly commonplace this side of the River Severn. Might Navy ever consider throwing his lot in with Wales if the opportunity came after he qualifies?
“I haven’t thought about it,” he said. “I just focus on what I can offer for Ospreys and going forward how we can improve as a team and individually. You don’t really think about the international game as a player. That’s something that might come in the future. You don’t know.”
He’s been receiving invaluable tips from an injured team-mate. “I get a lot of good advice from Dan Evans,” he said. “Even though he’s injured, he still talks to me on a regular basis about how to improve my game and what ploys might help me against particular opponents. Stephen Myler and George North help too.”
This weekend in Swansea, Nagy will have the chance to show his worth in front of a significant audience as the Ospreys take on the English champions. It will be fascinating to see how he fares.
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