AT THE AGE of 27, Gavin Coombes has already achieved plenty in rugby and can still hope that the best days of his career are ahead.
But he knows a fair bit about the frustrations that can come with professional sport too.
He is fourth on Munster’s all-time try-scoring list and helped them to their URC title in 2023, while Coombes also has two Ireland caps to his name.
Yet he’d love to have many more Ireland caps and so, when he was recently making a decision about his future there was reason to pause and consider whether he should look closer at the chances abroad.
In the end, Coombes signed a new two-year deal with Munster.
“It’s an easy decision to say yes to Munster definitely,” said Coombes this week.
“It’s a bit difficult with regards to… I have been in and around with Irish squads and that disappointment is constantly there. That was something to think about – do I look for a new challenge or do I back myself to try and put myself back in a position where I can add to my two Irish caps?
“No one wants to leave their home province and that was the decision that I had to make and I believe that signing and staying for the next few years is definitely the right option for me.”
He’s happy with Munster but Coombes knows he has to show toughness when it comes to the Ireland situation.
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“You know, it’s probably something I’ve had small bits of 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, you know, luckily, I think I’m quite a resilient person.”
Coombes won his two Ireland caps in the summer of 2021 and though he has been in several of Andy Farrell’s squads in the years since, the Munster man has more recently been left out of the international group.
Days like tomorrow when Munster host Leinster in the URC seem like the ideal ground to prove a point but Coombes says it’s not just about those occasions.
Coombes celebrates Munster's win in Ulster. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
“It’s not just this weekend, it’s about being consistent,” said Coombes. “Every time you go out, if you’re playing Champions Cup or URC, you’re playing international players, high-quality players and it’s a chance to show what you can do.
“I don’t think an Irish selection is going to be about one game. Obviously when it’s the man who has the jersey you want to put your best foot forward. It’s a huge challenge, it’s exciting.”
With that consistency in mind, this season with Munster has been a little frustrating for Coombes.
He said he wasn’t happy with his form at the start of the campaign and missing out on selection in the matchday 23 for the second game of Munster’s URC tour to South Africa against the Sharks was “a setback and a disappointment.”
But he realises it sparked better form in him.
He was back to himself against the All Blacks XV, Lions, and Stade Français before he was rotated out of the team for the Champions Cup defeat away to Castres when his power was missed.
“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,” said Coombes of that decision.
“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, and there’s a few things that we can work on from that game but we weren’t far off at all.
“So obviously disappointment for myself but it allowed me to focus on Ulster and get myself prepared for the next couple of weeks.”
Coombes returned in impressive fashion as he made a whopping 35 tackles for Munster in that win over Ulster.
“Niall Scannell’s telling me I got 34, and he got 35, so I think we need to get proper figures on that!” joked Coombes.
“He wasn’t happy with the post the URC put up on Instagram saying that I had 35, he’s claiming that he had some more, but that’s what I’m going on.”
That kind of impact is what Coombes hopes to bring again tomorrow.
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'I've been in and around Irish squads and that disappointment is constantly there'
AT THE AGE of 27, Gavin Coombes has already achieved plenty in rugby and can still hope that the best days of his career are ahead.
But he knows a fair bit about the frustrations that can come with professional sport too.
He is fourth on Munster’s all-time try-scoring list and helped them to their URC title in 2023, while Coombes also has two Ireland caps to his name.
Yet he’d love to have many more Ireland caps and so, when he was recently making a decision about his future there was reason to pause and consider whether he should look closer at the chances abroad.
In the end, Coombes signed a new two-year deal with Munster.
“It’s an easy decision to say yes to Munster definitely,” said Coombes this week.
“It’s a bit difficult with regards to… I have been in and around with Irish squads and that disappointment is constantly there. That was something to think about – do I look for a new challenge or do I back myself to try and put myself back in a position where I can add to my two Irish caps?
“No one wants to leave their home province and that was the decision that I had to make and I believe that signing and staying for the next few years is definitely the right option for me.”
He’s happy with Munster but Coombes knows he has to show toughness when it comes to the Ireland situation.
“You know, it’s probably something I’ve had small bits of 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, you know, luckily, I think I’m quite a resilient person.”
Coombes won his two Ireland caps in the summer of 2021 and though he has been in several of Andy Farrell’s squads in the years since, the Munster man has more recently been left out of the international group.
Days like tomorrow when Munster host Leinster in the URC seem like the ideal ground to prove a point but Coombes says it’s not just about those occasions.
“It’s not just this weekend, it’s about being consistent,” said Coombes. “Every time you go out, if you’re playing Champions Cup or URC, you’re playing international players, high-quality players and it’s a chance to show what you can do.
“I don’t think an Irish selection is going to be about one game. Obviously when it’s the man who has the jersey you want to put your best foot forward. It’s a huge challenge, it’s exciting.”
With that consistency in mind, this season with Munster has been a little frustrating for Coombes.
He said he wasn’t happy with his form at the start of the campaign and missing out on selection in the matchday 23 for the second game of Munster’s URC tour to South Africa against the Sharks was “a setback and a disappointment.”
But he realises it sparked better form in him.
He was back to himself against the All Blacks XV, Lions, and Stade Français before he was rotated out of the team for the Champions Cup defeat away to Castres when his power was missed.
“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,” said Coombes of that decision.
“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, and there’s a few things that we can work on from that game but we weren’t far off at all.
“So obviously disappointment for myself but it allowed me to focus on Ulster and get myself prepared for the next couple of weeks.”
Coombes returned in impressive fashion as he made a whopping 35 tackles for Munster in that win over Ulster.
“Niall Scannell’s telling me I got 34, and he got 35, so I think we need to get proper figures on that!” joked Coombes.
“He wasn’t happy with the post the URC put up on Instagram saying that I had 35, he’s claiming that he had some more, but that’s what I’m going on.”
That kind of impact is what Coombes hopes to bring again tomorrow.
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Gavin Coombes hopes Ireland Munster