Munster back-row star Gavin Coombes admits that he still harbours ambitions of representing Ireland again despite representing his country in only two Tests so far.
The 27-year-old made his international debut off the replacements bench against Japan in 2021 before making his first start the following week against the USA and crossed for a try as Ireland sealed an emphatic 71-10 victory.
Disappointed ahead of 2023 World Cup
Since then, Coombes made international appearances in both matches against the Maori All Blacks on their tour of New Zealand in 2022 but despite being included in Ireland‘s 42-man training squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, he was released without making any appearances.
Last month, he was also in action for Munster against the All Blacks XV in front of a capacity crowd at Thomond Park – a match which the tourists sealed a 38-24 victory – and despite being overlooked at Test level, he signed a contract extension with the Irish province earlier this month.
“It’s an easy decision to say ‘yes’ to Munster, definitely,” Coombes told the Irish Independent. “But 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?
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“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.”
Eyeing a strong performance against Leinster
With Munster set to face arch-rivals Leinster at Thomond Park on Friday evening, Coombes knows that a strong performance could put him back in the frame for an Ireland call-up.
“I’m sure there’s a lot of guys who have aspirations to play for Ireland, the likes of [Alex] Kendellen and John Hodnett and [Brian] Gleeson and whoever else is there, Ruadhán [Quinn], Jack O’Donoghue, all these fellas,” he added.
“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.
“It’s about being consistent. 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.”
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/gavin-coombes-ready-to-put-disappointment-behind-him-in-bid-to-make-ireland-return
