Gavin Coombes is in contention to make his first appearance of the season for Munster in Friday's BKT United Rugby Championship Interpro against Connacht.The number 8 missed the opening three rounds of games due to a groin injury, with fellow Corkman Jack O'Sullivan starting at the back of the pack in his place.However, the Ireland international was put through his paces in the warm-up before Saturday's 21-5 win against Zebre Parma at Musgrave Park, with head coach Graham Rowntree saying he's in with a chance of being cleared to play at the Sportsground this Friday night."We'll see, certainly he’s fit now," the Munster coach said of Coombes."He’s important for us.
We’ll make that decision at the start of the week. He’s certainly fitter than he was. If he’s going to be ready for Friday night, I’ll make that decision at the start of the week."With Keith Earls and Andrew Conway injured last week, and Calvin Nash and Shane Daly both away in South Africa with Emerging Ireland, Munster turned to youth at the weekend.
Academy pair Conor Phillips and Patrick Campbell both started on the wings, Phillips making his debut with Campbell playing his third game for the province.Both players acquitted themselves well, despite a generally sluggish performance from the team as a whole, while two other academy prospects, Edwin Edogbo and Ruadhan Quinn (below) appeared off the bench in the second half.Edogbo made his debut in last week's defeat to the Dragons, while 18-year-old Quinn became the province's youngest player of the professional era, having helped Crescent College to a Munster Schools Senior Cup in March.Rowntree says being able to blend those youngsters into the squad, along with experienced internationals such as Peter