After 'frustrating' season, Darren Sweetnam is glad to put tough times behind him

The 27-year-old managed just five appearances last season

Darren Sweetnam: 'Sometimes I pushed myself too hard in the gym'. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane

Darren Sweetnam was glad to see the back of last season after months on the treatment table but the Munster wing is back fit and well and ready to reach new goals with his province.

The 27-year-old managed just five appearances in 2019-20 as a string of hamstring issues and related back problems kept him sidelined for four months, only for lockdown to cut his comeback short.

Last Monday saw him make his first 80-minute appearance of the season as he helped Munster maintain a winning start to 2020-21 with a bonus-point Guinness PRO14 victory over Cardiff Blues in Limerick.

It was a telling performance, Sweetnam an integral part of the backline move that put in JJ Hanrahan for the try of the night with supporters exiled to their armchairs able to remind themselves of the awareness and quick hands within his gift as he collected Damian de Allende’s back-of-the-hand offload and moved the ball swiftly onto Rory Scannell.

The next immediate target is to make Johann van Graan’s matchday squad for tomorrow’s visit to Newport and a PRO14 clash with Dragons at Rodney Parade (2pm) but Sweetnam is glad to put tougher times behind him.

“It was a frustrating season, just one hamstring injury after the other and then I got back, played two games and then Covid came along and ruined things a little bit.

I had time over the break to get my back and my hammy right and it’s nice to get that behind me and move onto a new season and a new start almost.

“The hammy, and just how do I get that right, was playing on my mind so that’s what I focused on (during lockdown). Sometimes I pushed myself too hard in the gym and it was more about lifting a heavier weight than good form so this season now I’ve been focussing on keeping my form right, good technique, and bringing back the weight a little bit, getting extra fit and taking that onto the pitch.” 

Munster will face a Dragons side with only one win in three at the start of their campaign but forwards coach Graham Rowntree knows Dean Ryan's side will be eager to claim a first win over the visitors since December 2015.

“I know their coaching team and they’ll be hurting,” Rowntree said. “Last time we were there, we won narrowly (8-7), January 2019. It’s going to be a challenge.

“They’re losing players to Wales as we’re losing players to Ireland but knowing their coaching team they’ll have something up their sleeve ready for us on Sunday. It will be a very tough game and we’ll be preparing that way.” 

Munster, meanwhile, moved quickly to address their loosehead prop crisis by signing Ulster’s Ireland U20 Grand Slam winner Callum Reid on a six-week loan.

Head coach Johann van Graan is expected to retain James Cronin and Josh Wycherley, his only fit looseheads on the books, following injuries to Dave Kilcoyne (ankle), Jeremy Loughman (shoulder), Liam O’Connor (calf), and academy prop James French. Yet Reid, 21, will provide much-needed cover, though he has yet to make a senior start with Ulster.