Jean Kleyn reckons Gavin Coombes is playing the best rugby of his career - and is only going to get better.
Coombes looked set for Test action during the Autumn series but the Munster back row was one of Ireland A's worst performers on a bad night against the All Blacks XV and ended up going back to the province.
After that RDS game in November, Andy Farrell told his under-performing players that they needed to reflect on their levels of preparation and commitment to achieve at the highest level.
READ MORE : Andy Farrell's Six Nations squad announcement: the winners and losers
Coombes appears to have done that, given the response he has produced for the Reds, culminating in his two tries against Northampton last weekend - his fifth and sixth in his last eight games for Munster.
In fact Kleyn sees plenty of CJ Stander in the way the Corkman is playing.
"I’d say it is the best he's played, but it’s not the best you’re going to see him play," said Kleyn of his fellow Reds forward.
"He’s a young guy, he’s on his way up and he’s working hard every day. He’s doing extras when other lads are walking off the pitch.
"He’s not happy being the player he is, he wants to be better.
“The way he’s playing he reminds of CJ (Stander). If you look at his stats from the weekend I think it was 20 tackles and 18 carries or something. It’s a ridiculous work-rate.
"That’s phenomenal, if you think there’s 40 minutes ball in play. Every minute of the game he’s involved.
"He’s playing very well at the moment but I don’t want to blow too much smoke - but yeah, there’s only way and that’s up for him.”
Kleyn himself is enjoying himself in a Munster side that has started to really click under Graham Rowntree.
The province face a really uphill task away to Toulouse in the final round of Champions Cup pool games on Sunday but although they have lost their last three games with the Top 14 giants, they have all been one score games.
"We're getting so close," said the South Africa-born Ireland Test lock.
"Based on what we've been doing this season, and our growth in the last six weeks especially, I think we're really positive and hopeful we can do something special this weekend.
"It would be incredible. Mentally it would be really big for us. We've been building confidence and building momentum and if we were to get this win, the sky's the limit.
"Who can stop us, if we can beat Toulouse at home?".
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