'Resilient' Gavin Coombes finds positives from adversity 

The question is whether he was so effective against Ulster precisely because of that surprise absence seven days earlier.

Did the weekend off leave him extra fresh for the interpro? Did it fire him up?

“It’s always going to be difficult when you hear that you’re not selected. And you know how much European rugby means to this club and how special it is to represent Munster in Europe,” Coombes said before Friday’s home URC tie against Leinster.

“It’s obviously disappointing that I didn’t get the chance to play in that, and then when you’re watching, it’s even harder because you have no control, but we have a strong squad and the lads went over and put in a shift, in fairness.

“There’s a few things that we can work on from that game but we weren’t far off at all. So obviously a disappointment for myself, but it allowed me to focus on Ulster and get myself prepared for the next couple of weeks.”

Coombes wasn’t happy with his form at the start of the season. He was disappointed that the two-match tour to South Africa in October brought him less than half an hour on the park against the Stormers, even if he did mark that with a try.

That was what “lit the fire” for him. He returned home and made it his business to hit a vein of form starting with the game against the New Zealand XV and kicking on through with other home ties against the Lions and Stade Francais.

He looks back now and details how he chatted to some of his team-mates, Munster’s physio Cathal Sheridan and some of the coaches in order to digest the disappointments and move on. It’s a process he has gone through before.

Two Ireland caps in 2021, against the USA and Japan, seemed to signal the start of a Test career but he has failed to add to them since having made some of Andy Farrell’s wider squads and failing to get even that far in 2024.

“It’s probably something I’ve had, small bits here and there throughout my whole time coming up: not being selected for certain squads, recently being left out of Irish squads, or even when you’re in an Irish squad you’re hoping to get into a matchday squad and you don’t get in.

“All these little things are challenges and ... I think I’m quite a resilient person. I think it’s important to look at yourself and what you can do instead of blaming others.”

His worth to Munster was franked earlier this month when he signed a new two-year extension with the province. This is a guy who played 22 times in their successful URC campaign two years ago and in all 25 of the club’s games last term.

The 2022/23 BKT URC title-winning campaign saw him make a huge contribution with 14 tries in 22 appearances. He featured in all 25 games last season, including 20 starts, and played both at number 8 and in the second row while chipping in with seven tries. 

Coombes has a blistering 47 tries in 107 caps and he can do a job at lock and in the second row.

Would he look for a new challenge or try to push himself enough at Munster to earn more Test caps? The decision to extend was an easy one, the sheer strength in depth that Ireland boasts in the back row serving to inspire him going forward.

Facing Leinster on Friday would go a long way to achieving all his ambitions.

“There probably isn’t an Irish province that doesn’t have a strong back row at the moment. So, it’s always a challenge. (Leinster) have a lot of quality there, and it’s a big opportunity for our back row to put their hands up.

“I’m sure there’s a lot of guys have aspirations to play for Ireland, the likes of (Alex) Kendellen and John Hodnett and (Brian) Gleeson and whoever else is there, Ruadhan (Quinn), Jack O’Donoghue, all these fellas.

“I’m sure they haven’t given up on that dream of playing for Ireland. These are the games, if you make your mark in these games against your opposite number, you could give yourself a good chance at that.”