Bernard Jackman believes Gavin Coombes' new role for Munster off the bench could prove to be the point of difference to get him back into the Ireland squad.
The Munster number 8 has played all 23 games for Munster across the BKT United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup, scoring seven tries in a typically industrious campaign.
Coombes has been locked in as a starter in the Munster back row for four seasons now, but in recent weeks the 26-year-old's role has changed, as the Munster coaches look to spread their wealth across both the first XV and their bench.
Munster head coach Graham Rowntree has shaken up his selection since the Investec Champions Cup elimination against Northampton Saints, and has held back a number of players - who would normally be considered as starters - on the bench, a tactic which is seeing the province perform better across the full 80 minutes.
One of players is Coombes, who has started just one of the last five games but has still contributed two tries, while remaining in the top two for both successful carries and tackles in the league this year.
The Corkman has been a regular in Ireland squads under Andy Farrell, but it's just under three years since he won the last of his two Ireland caps.
And Jackman believes his explosive performances off the bench for Munster may just catch the eye of the Ireland coach.
"I've massive admiration for Gavin Coombes, and not just his willingness to be on the bench," he told the RTÉ Rugby podcast.
"Go back to his early days, it all came quite easy to him because he’s a brilliant athlete and was in the team and was scoring tries.
"Then he had a little bit of a setback, that game for Ireland A [against All Blacks XV] in the RDS where he was kind of the fall-guy, which I don't think was fair, but he was the fall-guy.
"He’s in an area where Ireland are stacked in the back row. He went away, the feedback was around work rate and we’ve seen that improve massively, but yet he couldn't get his way back into the Irish team.
"There wasn't any word out of him, he just kept doing his job.
"Over recent times he has taken that role of being an impact player off the bench, and again coming on and ego-less, just doing it, and doing it really well.
"Ironically, it’s not what he would have wanted, but if he can create a reputation of being a really strong impact player, that might be an avenue into Andy Farrell’s selection, more so than being a starter."
Coombes was one of four forwards brought on by Munster just before the 50-minute mark in Saturday's 29-24 win over Ulster, with Oli Jager, John Hodnett and Tom Ahern all making a significant impact in the comeback win.
The sight of the quartet on the touchline, primed and ready to go, brought to mind the Springboks and their famed 'Bomb Squad' of the last two World Cups.
"I spoke to Jacques Nienaber about how they [South Africa] get these amazing players to buy into the idea that you're not guaranteed to start," Jackman added.
"It was so deep in the South Africa culture that Rassie Erasmus and Nienaber would say, 'Here’s the 23, we don't care who starts, you decide’, which is a million miles away from anything I saw [in my career].
"Do you want to be on the pitch at the start, which we historically we all have, or do you want to be on at the end?
"If you’re the players who were replaced on Saturday night at Thomond Park, you’re on the bench there for the last 30 minutes, and it’s out of your control.
"You've started the game, but when you left it, the game was in the balance, The bench players were in control of the game at the end.
"It’s a different mindset, but what Rowntree and his coaches have done is sold it well, and have had players who have really put the province first."
Johne Murphy joined Jackman on the RTÉ Rugby podcast, and says Graham Rowntree's recent selection policy is driving competition in the squad.
"It's been a real coaching feat..."@MurphyJohne looks at how Munster's season has turned, as they head into the play-offs.
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) June 5, 2024
📺🎧Full #RTERugby pod: https://t.co/OC4vj76IRo pic.twitter.com/72jTPWuD2H
"If you know you're one of those [starting] players in the forwards, you can go fully after it for the 55, 60, 65 minutes, but also your competitive edge gets the better of you," the former Munster wing said.
"You know that if you don't do your job, there's someone there that comes on, and you’re fighting to retain that starting spot.
"They’ve managed their bench really well, and you’ve to put aside your ego, but everyone wants to start. That's your competitive nature. You have that in the back of your mind where you want to hold onto your starting spot.
"It gives you a bit of a kick that you want to make sure your impacts are very important for the game in the time you’re on the pitch. It creates that competitiveness within that squad."
Listen to the RTÉ Rugby podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Watch Munster v Ospreys in the URC on Friday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 Extra.
Follow a live blog of Leinster v Ulster (Saturday 5pm) on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to updates on RTÉ Radio 1
