Top performer Coombes eyeing another title triumph

Gavin Coombes is having another season to remember in the United Rugby Championship and is looking to cap it by helping Munster Rugby claim their second title in three years.

The No 8 from Skibbereen has frequently figured high up in the individual stats in previous league campaigns and it’s the same story this time around.

He is in the top four for tries scored (6), successful carries (76) and offloads (22), while he is also contributing in a major way on the other side of the ball, having made the sixth most tackles (168) in the competition.

Now his attention turns to the all-important run-in as Munster look to book their place in the play-offs.

They are currently seventh in the table, with games against fellow top eight hopefuls Cardiff Rugby (a), Ulster Rugby (h) and Benetton Rugby (h) to come.

If they are to win the title, they are likely to have to do it the hard way, with away ties all the way through the play-offs.

But they will take inspiration from having done just that when they were crowned champions in 2023.

“We aren’t out of the competition,” stressed Coombes.

“We are still going to challenge for the title if we can. When we won it, we came fifth and we went away every game, so why can’t we do that again?

“When we have been on it this season, we have had some great days and great performances.

“There is a lot of belief in this group that we have the talent to challenge for the league, so that’s definitely what we are speaking about.

“We have got to get in the top eight first but it’s in our own hands. We don’t have to rely on other people getting us results.

“We are playing Cardiff and Benetton - who are ahead of us - and Ulster, who are three points off us,

“So it’s all on us, it’s not relying on anyone else. That’s an exciting challenge and one we are all looking forward to.

“The two games we had in Europe recently were knock-out rugby, so we’ve been in a position for the last few weeks where they have all been huge games.

“We have a group that thrives in that kind of space, so the approach and mindset doesn’t change. You have to go out and try and win every game.”

First up, it’s Friday night’s trip to a packed Arms Park to take on Cardiff who are one point and one place ahead of them in the table.

“They are a good team, they have improved a lot this year,” said the 27-year-old Coombes.

“They are in a similar position to us. They are fighting for the top eight.

“There is other stuff going on around the club as well, so they will probably want to prove a point and make a statement that as a group they are going to overcome that challenge.

“So they are going to have huge fight. They are never easy to play at home, so it’s going to be a huge challenge.”

Having claimed a notable away victory over La Rochelle in the Champions Cup last 16, Munster were then knocked out when they visited Bordeaux-Begles in the quarter-finals, while they went down to a 16-13 home defeat at the hands of the Vodacom Bulls on their return to URC action last weekend.

Ireland international Coombes sat out the narrow Limerick loss to the Bulls with an ankle issue which he has now shaken off.

Outlining how he saw the game as a spectator, he said: “You couldn’t fault our effort or attitude on the pitch.

“We probably didn’t take our opportunities when they came in the first half and didn’t play the conditions right in the second, while we were unfortunate with a few things that happened in the game.

“It’s not one where we can feel sorry for ourselves and waste any time because it’s a six-day turnaround.

“We need everyone on it, so we had it parked by the time we came in.

“I think everyone knows this is a huge week for us. There’s great energy in the building and the mood in the camp is good.

“It’s been a huge test for us the last few weeks and I definitely feel we have grown as a group.”