JACK O’SULLIVAN, LIAM Coombes and Alex McHenry will be promoted to Munster’s senior squad next season while Stephen Archer, Dan Goggin and Liam O’Connor have all extended their deals with the southern province.

Back row O’Sullivan, a first cousin of Scannell brothers Niall and Rory, has impressed during his five first-team outings this term, making his Champions Cup debut at home to the Ospreys last weekend.

The Cork native starred for Ireland during the 2018 U20s Six Nations, scoring four tries and earning two man-of-the-match awards across five starts. An injury suffered shortly after his selection ruled him out of that year’s U20s World Championship and he subsequently missed most of last season, but scored a fine solo try against London Irish during the pre-season just gone.

The UCC man has signed a three-year contract with his native province.

Liam Coombes celebrates with Alex McHenry after a Munster U20/development squad victory over Ulster in 2016. Tommy Dickson / INPHO Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO

West Cork winger Coombes, who made a try-scoring senior debut against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein in November 2018, has been given a one-year deal.

A cousin of the senior-contracted Gavin Coombes, third-year academy prospect Liam is 22 and has made four appearances at first-team level.

McHenry starred infield of Coombes during their Munster Schools Senior Cup-winning campaign with Christians in 2016 and has also signed a one-year senior deal.

Predominantly deployed in the centre, the 22-year-old has dotted down four times in 14 competitive appearances for Munster ‘A’.

Liam O'Connor in action v Connacht during pre-season. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Veteran prop Archer, another Leesider, has extended his deal by two further years until 2022.

The 31-year-old is one of just 11 players to have represented Munster on more than 200 occasions, 86 of them coming over the past three seasons.

Limerick’s Goggin, 25, has scored seven tries in 55 appearances for the men in red and was named Munster’s Young Player of the Year last term.

The explosive back will also stay with the province until 2022 after signing a two-year extension.

Prop O’Connor, 24, has made 26 first-team appearances since debuting against Stade Francais in the Champions Cup in January 2016. The Cork man has battled back since missing a year of rugby in 2018 and has been rewarded with a two-year extension.

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