TOMMY BOWE HAS defended Jared Payne following recent criticism from former Leinster and Ulster coach Matt Williams.
Since winning his first Ireland cap against the Springboks last November, the New Zealand-born centre has been ever-present in Joe Schmidt’s squad.
Payne started every single game in this year’s Six Nations championship-clinching team and has featured at outside centre for both of Ireland’s opening World Cup games.
Williams, however, who was speaking on TV3 in the aftermath of Ireland’s 44-10 victory over Romania at Wembley, tore into Payne’s recent performances.
“He’s making really poor decisions,” said the Australian following Sunday’s game. “He’s kicking the ball all the time and he’s kicking very badly. He’s not making breaks. He’s running across field.”
Speaking at Ireland’s team base in London prior to their move to Guildford yesterday evening, Bowe defended his Ireland and Ulster team-mate.
“I was just chatting to one of the lads yesterday about how good it is to actually play alongside Jared,” said Bowe.
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“As a squad, we know what a talented player Jared is. He has a lot of time on the ball and he makes it easy for us wingers and people inside and outside him to play with because he’s just so consistent.
Bowe impressed against Romania but Payne came in for criticism. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
“His communication is very good from a defensive point of view and he’s probably one of the best passers of the ball in the squad. He has a bit of X-Factor about him when he gets the opportunity to put it on. He’s been a key part of the squad and team over the last year or two.
“I know Matt Williams, I was coached by him. I don’t think any of the players will be getting too upset about it. I think that, maybe he’s just playing the ‘bad cop’ role on TV. I think, as a squad, the players would be very confident in Jared’s ability. He’s certainly one of the very popular lads around the squad so… I don’t think he’ll be getting too upset about it.”
Following his poor showing against England in the World Cup warm-up series earlier this month, Bowe bounced back with a superb performance against the Oaks.
The Monaghan man grabbed a brace of tries in an impressive display alongside man-of-the-match Keith Earls and Simon Zebo as Ireland’s back three ran riot.
With Luke Fitzgerald and the Kearney brothers also in the running for spots in the outside backs, Bowe knows that nothing is guaranteed ahead of the clash with the Azzurri on Sunday.
“If I’d scored 10 tries yesterday, I don’t know if I’d have done enough. Joe has us all on our toes, Dave Kearney is playing exceptionally well so what can you do?
“You’ve just got to keep your head down and keep going. Listen, if I don’t get my opportunity next weekend, hopefully I’ll get it the following week. It’s a tough competition, there are going to be injuries. Opportunities will come. You’ve just got to stay positive.”
Four years ago, Ireland secured top spot in Pool C with a thumping 36-6 victory against Italy at a heaving Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
“I have good memories from that game,” Bowe recalled.
Bowe was in front of the press the day after Ireland's second World Cup win. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
“It was probably one of our best team performances and I think, for myself, I had a pretty good game that time as well. It was a great atmosphere in Dunedin in that bubble-shaped stadium. So, yeah, I’ve good memories from it, a tough game, Italy were going into that very confident and it was definitely one of our stronger games of the tournament that day. I know we’ll need to be up to that kind of level again to try to come away with a performance this weekend.”
After the elation of the victories over Australia and Italy in the pool stages, Ireland were dumped out of the 2011 World Cup the following week by Wales in the quarter-final in Wellington.
So, are there lessons to be learned from Ireland’s ill-fated World Cup campaign in New Zealand?
“There are a lot of players still in the squad who were there, who experienced it, who had that heartache of the way we went out but also that ecstasy of some of the wins that we had so I think as a team we’ve become more consistent since then,” Bowe added.
“Inconsistency was one of our biggest things around that sort of period whereas it’s something, certainly over the last two years, our consistency as a team has been much more solid. That’s something we worked on.
The memories of that last World Cup will definitely remain in a lot of our heads and any mistakes or what we want to learn from, it will come out over the next few weeks.”
Tommy Bowe defends Ulster team-mate Jared Payne after scathing criticism
TOMMY BOWE HAS defended Jared Payne following recent criticism from former Leinster and Ulster coach Matt Williams.
Since winning his first Ireland cap against the Springboks last November, the New Zealand-born centre has been ever-present in Joe Schmidt’s squad.
Payne started every single game in this year’s Six Nations championship-clinching team and has featured at outside centre for both of Ireland’s opening World Cup games.
Williams, however, who was speaking on TV3 in the aftermath of Ireland’s 44-10 victory over Romania at Wembley, tore into Payne’s recent performances.
“He’s making really poor decisions,” said the Australian following Sunday’s game. “He’s kicking the ball all the time and he’s kicking very badly. He’s not making breaks. He’s running across field.”
Speaking at Ireland’s team base in London prior to their move to Guildford yesterday evening, Bowe defended his Ireland and Ulster team-mate.
“I was just chatting to one of the lads yesterday about how good it is to actually play alongside Jared,” said Bowe.
“As a squad, we know what a talented player Jared is. He has a lot of time on the ball and he makes it easy for us wingers and people inside and outside him to play with because he’s just so consistent.
“His communication is very good from a defensive point of view and he’s probably one of the best passers of the ball in the squad. He has a bit of X-Factor about him when he gets the opportunity to put it on. He’s been a key part of the squad and team over the last year or two.
“I know Matt Williams, I was coached by him. I don’t think any of the players will be getting too upset about it. I think that, maybe he’s just playing the ‘bad cop’ role on TV. I think, as a squad, the players would be very confident in Jared’s ability. He’s certainly one of the very popular lads around the squad so… I don’t think he’ll be getting too upset about it.”
Following his poor showing against England in the World Cup warm-up series earlier this month, Bowe bounced back with a superb performance against the Oaks.
The Monaghan man grabbed a brace of tries in an impressive display alongside man-of-the-match Keith Earls and Simon Zebo as Ireland’s back three ran riot.
With Luke Fitzgerald and the Kearney brothers also in the running for spots in the outside backs, Bowe knows that nothing is guaranteed ahead of the clash with the Azzurri on Sunday.
“You’ve just got to keep your head down and keep going. Listen, if I don’t get my opportunity next weekend, hopefully I’ll get it the following week. It’s a tough competition, there are going to be injuries. Opportunities will come. You’ve just got to stay positive.”
Four years ago, Ireland secured top spot in Pool C with a thumping 36-6 victory against Italy at a heaving Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
“I have good memories from that game,” Bowe recalled.
“It was probably one of our best team performances and I think, for myself, I had a pretty good game that time as well. It was a great atmosphere in Dunedin in that bubble-shaped stadium. So, yeah, I’ve good memories from it, a tough game, Italy were going into that very confident and it was definitely one of our stronger games of the tournament that day. I know we’ll need to be up to that kind of level again to try to come away with a performance this weekend.”
After the elation of the victories over Australia and Italy in the pool stages, Ireland were dumped out of the 2011 World Cup the following week by Wales in the quarter-final in Wellington.
So, are there lessons to be learned from Ireland’s ill-fated World Cup campaign in New Zealand?
“Inconsistency was one of our biggest things around that sort of period whereas it’s something, certainly over the last two years, our consistency as a team has been much more solid. That’s something we worked on.
The memories of that last World Cup will definitely remain in a lot of our heads and any mistakes or what we want to learn from, it will come out over the next few weeks.”
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