Sweetnam: It's great for West Cork to have four on the team

IN Darren Sweetnam’s own words, they’re putting West Cork on the map.

Munster’s 32-28 pre-season friendly win against London Irish at Musgrave Park on Friday was notable for a few reasons, and chief amongst them was the appearance of four West Cork players on the Munster team.

Dunmanway’s Darren Sweetnan, Bantry’s Fineen Wycherley and Skibbereen’s Gavin Coombes all started while Gavin’s cousin, Liam Coombes, also from Skibb, came on at half time to make his first appearance for Munster.

Both Gavin and Liam were among seven Greencore Munster Rugby Academy players featured in the win.

‘It’s great for West Cork to have four lads on the team, to put West Cork on the map so that’s very good as well,’ said Sweetnam after, and he also ran in a first-half try.

‘We put in seven hard weeks of work and to put all those skills into practice was great. It’s great to start the season off on a good foot.

‘I got my hands on the ball a lot and it was very enjoyable, and I got to run on this new surface as well so it was very good.’

For Gavin Coombes, it was a chance to impress. 

‘It’s been great, we have got the opportunity with the internationals out so we have been in pre-season, and some lads have put their hands up and really taken the opportunity. 

‘This is one step, we want to get into PRO14 games and challenge the senior lads,’
 Coombes said.

‘It’s a privilege to play with your family and play with lads I have grown up with like Fineen and I went to school with Darren. 

Hopefully we can all kick on and make it together.’

Next up for Munster are Exeter Chiefs this Friday, again at Musgrave Park, 7.30pm.