Coombes gets new Munster contract, but suffers ankle injury

A MIXED few days for Gavin Coombes saw him sign a two-year contract extension with Munster – but he suffered an ankle injury last weekend that has ruled him out of the huge Champions Cup first-leg against Exeter this Saturday.

First, the good news. The 24-year-old Skibbereen man, who made his 50th appearance for the province last Saturday night against Leinster, will now stay with Munster until at least 2025.

It’s no surprise that Munster tied Coombes down to a new long-term deal as he is one of the hottest prospects in Irish rugby, given his meteoric rise in the past two seasons. His previous deal ran until 2023 – but Munster were keen to lock in the Irish senior international for a further two years.

Now, the injury news. Coombes limped off 27 minutes into the first half of last Saturday’s 34-19 defeat to Leinster at Thomond Park, after hurting his left ankle. He left the ground on crutches with his ankle in a protective boot, and Munster confirmed early this week that Coombes is unavailable for Saturday’s trip to Exeter and will undergo a scan on the ankle injury.

‘He’s obviously a very important player for us. You saw at the start of the game, I thought he carried really well,’ Munster coach Johann Van Graan said.