Coombes powers Munster comeback against Dragons to snap losing streak
Munster's Sean Edogbo celebrates after the game with Evan O'Connell. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie
Gavin Coombes’ two-try bench impact and Tony Butler’s 75th-minute penalty saw Munster overturn a 13-point deficit to snap their four-game losing streak in front of 8,422 fans at Virgin Media Park.
The hosts rode their luck at times as a first-half TMO intervention prevented them from falling 20 points behind against the wind and a Dragons side which hadn’t won away from home since December 2024.
But Munster’s need for a morale boost on the heels of their Champions Cup elimination fuelled their resurgence to leap from sixth in the URC standings to third place overnight.
In the week that Edwin Edogbo was called up to Ireland’s Six Nations squad, his younger brother Seán received his Munster senior debut. The 21-year-old Cobh Pirates graduate completed what Clayton McMillan described as “the youngest Munster back row in history” alongside Ruadhán Quinn and Brian Gleeson.
He showed his power and line-out skills throughout an impressive performance, which was rewarded with player of the match honours.
Fly-half JJ Hanrahan was a late withdrawal due to a leg injury. His absence saw Butler step into the number 10 jersey, while back-rower Jack O’Donoghue was summoned onto the bench.
The international contingent were absent, apart from Jeremy Loughman, and it appeared as if the prop had got his hands on an early turnover. However, Fineen Wycherley was pinged for hands in the ruck and Angus O’Brien slotted the penalty for a 10th-minute lead.
Munster couldn’t make hay from their first 22 entry before further disciplinary blunders cost them further points. It originated from Butler’s uncertainty under a high ball, which caused the fly-half, having directed the ball back into his own 22, to kick into touch on the full.
From that platform, the Dragons had three opportunities to go to their maul. Each time, Munster infringed. On the third occasion, Dragons didn’t need the penalty. Brodie Coghlan burst through the middle of the Reds’ disintegrating maul defence to crash over. O’Brien’s kick made it 10-0.
Munster were granted a foothold from the kick-off. Thaakir Abrahams was taken out in the air by Harry Beddall, who was sin-binned. They didn’t make the most of their numerical advantage. After waves of attack, Jean Kleyn was penalised for holding on.
It got worse as Gleeson knocked on when attempting a quick-tap free-kick and Mike Haley dropped the ball in the air to gift Dragons territory. Butler was then called for failing to roll away in the ruck. O’Brien made it 13-0 just as his team were restored to 15 men.
Munster were fortunate to avoid falling further behind. Ethan Coughlan was outpaced by his opposite number, Che Hope, to touch down David Richards’ kick through. However, TMO Mike Adamson intervened to rule that Beddall had stripped Diarmuid Barron of possession on halfway after the tackle was complete.
With that let-off, Munster began to march forward through a series of penalties. From Barron’s tap-and-go, they finally broke through on the second attempt. The try was initially attributed to Kleyn, but replays showed Gleeson carried over the line. Butler’s conversion left the deficit at a manageable six points, 13-7, turning to play with the wind.
Dragons continued to foul as Butler punted a pair of penalties into the corner. First time around, the Munster maul was illegally stopped. On the second push, they spilled the ball forward. With 11 men committed to the maul, the Welsh region countered into space, only to be foiled by Diarmuid Kilgallen’s vital tackle on Rio Dyer.
In the 53rd minute, Dragons conjured up their third try out of nowhere. Tinus de Beer’s kick held up in the wind and the fly-half was allowed to gather uncontested, ease past the first defender, and hand off the second before offloading for Richards to finish. O’Brien added the extras for a 20-7 lead.
Coughlan sparked the fightback with a 50-22 kick for a line-out on the opposition five-metre line. Once they got within range of the whitewash, Coombes took over. The Skibbereen man had just entered the park 60 seconds earlier as a HIA replacement for Kleyn before his powerful charge punched through. Hollie Davidson’s on-field decision was try, which survived a TMO referral. Butler’s conversion missed to leave two scores in the difference, 20-12, entering the final quarter.
Coombes would soon add a second try within eight minutes. They were made to earn it by resilient Dragons tryline defence before the back-row reached out to place the ball on the line. Butler’s conversion cut the gap to one.
Kleyn had been preparing to return to the field, but given Coombes’ impact, he was soon instructed to remain on the bench.
Munster hit the front with five minutes to play. O’Donoghue was beaten in the air by Dyer, but play was called back for Butler to dispatch the tap-over winning penalty.
Gleeson came close to a bonus-point try, but was held up over the line.
Tries: G Coombes 2, B Gleeson; Cons: T Butler 2; Pen: T Butler.Â
B Coghlan, D Richards; Cons: A O’Brien 2; Pens: A O’Brien 2.
M Haley; T Abrahams, D Kelly, A Nankivell (D Kilgallen 43), S Daly; T Butler, E Coughlan (P Patterson 71); J Loughman (J Wycherley 50), D Barron (capt) (L Barron 76), M Ala’alatoa (O Jager 50); J Kleyn (G Coombes 56, HIA), F Wycherley (E O’Connell 50); S Edogbo, R Quinn (J O’Donoghue 61), B Gleeson.
A O’Brien (j-capt); D Richards, F Inisi, A Owen, R Dyer; T de Beer (C Evans 59), C Hope (R Williams 67); R Martinez (J Morris 76), B Coghlan (O Burrows 67), R Hunt (C Dlamini 76); L Douglas (S Davies 51), B Carter; H Keddie (S Lewis-Hughes 61), H Beddall (H Ackerman 80), A Wainwright.
H Davidson (Scotland).
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