Denis Leamy: 'It's a great opportunity for the boys coming in to show what they can do'
Ireland assistant coach Denis Leamy at a press conference. Picture: Leah Scholes/Inpho
Paul O’Connell’s Ireland squad take off for Tbilisi on Wednesday ahead of the first of two summer Tests which could prove to be pivotal to many of the 33 squad members international rugby aspirations.
This Saturday’s meeting with Georgia and the following week’s Lisbon Test against Portugal represents perhaps the biggest window of opportunity in a generation for the 13 uncapped players in the touring party and the dozen with less than 10 Ireland caps thanks to the absence of 16 frontliners on British & Irish Lions duty, an injury to captain Caelan Doris and the international retirements post-Six Nations of Cian Healy, Conor Murray and Peter O’Mahony.
“It’s a great opportunity for the boys coming in to show what they can do and just build on some of the things that have (been) done to date,” Denis Leamy said on the eve of departure as Ireland’s interim coaching staff wrapped up preparations at the IRFU High Performance Centre in Abbottstown.
Gavin Coombes has perhaps more reason than most to take advantage of that opportunity. The No.8 from West Cork has been a consistently shining light for Munster but Test recognition has eluded the 27-year-old since a Test debut off the bench against Japan in 2021 and the 80-minute start the following week against the USA, both on home soil four summers ago.
Coombes was not jettisoned by head coach Andy Farrell, indeed the back-rower toured New Zealand the 12 months later and started both midweek games in the drawn series with the Maori All Blacks, alongside Cian Prendergast and Nick Timoney, both of whom will board the team plane with the hope of adding to their four and three cap tallies respectively.
It was a trio that also started the November 2022 A international against an All Blacks XV at the RDS on a night when many observers feel Coombes became one of the fall guys for a 19-47 defeat that left Farrell seething in a manner not seen since his post-match media conference following the Lions’ pre-tour defeat to Argentina.
Tellingly Prendergast and Timoney have earned Test caps since that dark night in Dublin, though not since before the 2023 World Cup, when the former and Coombes were cut from the pre-tournament training squad.
So does the door remain open? Ireland interim defence coach Leamy was asked just that of Coombes, with whom he also works at Munster, on Tuesday.
“Gavin has turned up, he's looking fit, he's looking hungry the last few days. I think he's deployed himself really well, he's been really good in training.
“Gavin has been in and out of Irish squads over the last couple of years. The times he's been left out, he's understood the reasons why and (they) have been very fair. Gavin has gone away and worked hard on those parts of the games.
“He's back in now, he has that chance now on Saturday, hopefully, if selected, that he can go and apply that and put his best foot forward. He's a guy that over the last couple of years has been very good for Munster.”
It will chiefly be O’Connell’s feedback to a returning Farrell that counts most, of course, but Leamy believes Coombes has learned his lessons and deserves this latest shot at an Ireland return.
“I think he's hugely strong around opposition 22. His ability to make yards, score tries, he's one of the best around at that and his general play is improving all the time. He’s worked great between 22 and 22.
"His ability to make yards in open play, his ability to clock up big numbers in his tackles, his rucks and the fundamentals around his basic play, around number eight (working) at the base (of the scrum). He’s learning and improving that all the time. That’s why he’s back in this environment.”
O’Connell will name his matchday squad to face the Georgians from Tbilisi on Thursday with Craig Casey set to captain from scrum-half with the interim boss set for a big decision at fly-half where the duel between Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley continues.
For some Irishmen there remains the possibility of a call up to the Lions if injuries should crop up Down Under but Leamy spoke about the importance of staying focused on the task at hand in a green jersey.
“I lean on my own experience a little bit with that, being on tours in 2009 when you're on standby for the Lions.
“And it is a challenge, but you have to keep your mind on the job that's in front of you and you have to be very conscious of being as good as you can be in that space. Obviously, you're watching what's going on in Australia if there's an injury or an opportunity coming.
“But the boys will be very good around that. Their focus will be Ireland and whatever happens after that will happen.”
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