ON THE FIELD, James Lowe can appear like a chaotic force of nature.
And off it, his laid-back demeanour might give you the impression he’ll float on with the breeze.
The Leinster wing carries an unmistakable and inimitable energy onto the field. A boxy presence crammed full boundless enthusiasm, there’s a bounce in his step, a smile on his face and a mop of hair that continuously needs to be reined back in between plays.
Yet nothing happens by accident in Lowe’s world. He is meticulous in his preparation and rigid in his routines.
Indeed, even that hair has borne some evidence of his reluctance to veer far from the norm as he made sure to wait until he was back home in New Zealand, with a friend he trusted, before giving it an overdue tidy-up early this year.
In his spare time, his first priority is to prepare himself for the next day at the office.
“I like my own time. When I’m at work I’m full of energy, I’m excited,” he says.
“First thing in the morning – people kind of get sick of me, they go, ‘how are you so full of beans at this time in the morning?’
“I’ll walk into my physio at 7am and I’d go ‘ugh, why are you tired, come on mate’. But when I get home I’m beached out on the couch.”
Even James Lowe needs a break.
“I think it’s just that I’m pretty organised in how I try to do things. I don’t like to change things around very often. I’m not going to do something out of the gate.
“Tomorrow I’ve got running first thing in the morning. I’m not going to change anything. That’s how I’ve always been very system-orientated.”
Lowe has combined this meticulous streak with a love of open, thrilling all-action rugby from an early age.
Through the years he has counted Jeff Wilson, Christian Cullen, Israel Dagg and, of course, Jonah Lomu among his idols in rugby. But when it came to doing a primary school research project, his young eyes turned to one Josevata Rokocoko.
“I had one of his first interviews when he’d first cracked it at 19,” Lowe tells The42.
“I had to watch his interview and make a wee storyboard and photos – cut-outs from magazines of him doing the dishes!”
Casting his mind back to the early days of the Fijian flyer, who went on to score 46 tries for New Zealand, Lowe can’t help but rue the absence of a completed circle.
“I could have easily been marking him last year. Man it’s a small enough world and crazy how things could have unfolded.”
The former Chiefs star spoke last week about the sliding doors moment – specifically, a collision with Jordan Taufua – that saw him miss out on a likely All Blacks cap against Samoa and ultimately allowed him pitch up in the northern hemisphere.
Coming up on two years since he moved to Leinster, he has been back home just once. And while he has summered with men in the same boat like Scott Fardy and Jamison Gibson-Park, the life of a professional who must travel to far corners of the world for the best career opportunities has its fair share of everyday challenges.
“The toughest thing is being away from family more than anything,” says the always-affable 27-year-old.
“Getting away from that unit of people you’ve got around you who you trust and know so well. Not just family, but friends as well, people you grew up with. They were there when times were tough and they were there when times were good. That’s the most difficult thing.”
The pang for home was particularly sharp in recent weeks. Not because the “sideways rain” had begun battering his window to signal the end of summer, but because his sister gave birth to her second child. So there’s a nephew and a brand new niece on his list of reasons he might pine for home.
“Missing things like that always does suck, but my family understand my reason for coming over this side of the world at, probably, an earlier age than some.
“This is helping me progress and help everyone back home and I’m making sure I use the time to the best of my ability so that, when rugby’s said and done, I’m set up for life (after rugby).”
When we first came here it was daunting. You had no idea what to expect. And that was like jumping into the deep end. But we’re swimming, man”
The trappings of living in south Dublin and the make-up of the Leinster squad have also taken a little getting used to. Lowe is nothing if not a candid speaker, and he often saves a knowing mention for the post-code he now calls home, D4.
Born and raised in Nelson on New Zealand’s south island before moving north to Hamilton, Lowe was used to a veritable melting pot of Caucasians, Maori and Pacific Islanders. Living in south Dublin and playing for a Leinster side built on the throughput from fee-paying private schools, he is acutely aware that his upbringing has been quite different to many of his team-mates.
“You can’t not be. To be fair, I’d say Leinster hasn’t got a very diverse player pool. You’ve got some boys from the country… even a lot of the country boys, they still went to schools where their parents are playing 20,000 a year for them to go to school.
“Everyone’s heart’s in the right place and we’re all in the same boat rowing the same direction. That diversity isn’t quite there.”
“Credit where credit’s due… there’s this pathway created within Dublin and south Dublin in particular, that pathway’s there. It’s not the fella’s fault they come from an affluent background. It’s just a different way. They’re good people and their heart’s in the right place and we’ve all got the same common goal. But Jesus, they’re a special bunch of humans.”
Lowe feels he is on track to be fit for the start of the new Pro14 season with Leinster, who will not begin the campaign until 28 September due to the World Cup. He’s straining at the leash to play again after a long, drawn-out pre-season, but it will feel odd when a player of his talents is plying his trade off-Broadway while Japan holds centre stage.
With the time difference and Pro14 scheduling ensuring there are no fixture clashes, he will work as a pundit on eir Sport’s coverage of the tournament.
He jokes that he has promised to help Tommy Bowe with his pronunciation of the Tongan forward pack, but he is deadly serious about the challenge of showing he has another string to his bow.
The former Chiefs and New Zealand Maori wing remains very well-connected in Kiwi circles. And though his tales of team-mates have garnered deserved attention, it’s his ability to analyse and assess the sport that he is keen to showcase.
“I’m looking forward to it, it’s something I never thought I’d do.
“It’s relatively challenging. I could chew the ear off most people, but now I’ve got to have a bit of factual stuff behind there. What I’m saying could be scrutinised around the world.
“I’ve an eye for rugby. When things are unfolding I understand why. When you see the way teams are playing, after round one there’ll be an awesome picture of what teams are trying to do.
“We’re at the stage at the moment where nobody wants to show their hand. Yeah, we’ve had a huge build-up, all this training all these games, but I can tell you now: there are gonna be teams who haven’t shown 15 % of the stuff they’ve got planned and what’s gonna unfold.
“That’s the exciting thing: 90% of teams will be doing the same thing, but calling it something different.
“It’s going to be very interesting to see what’s around the corner.”
eir sport is the home of the Rugby World Cup in Ireland and the only place to watch all 48 games live.
Special player. Sounds like he’s got his head switched on… We should be thankful
His attitude and bubbly nature must be great for the overall moral of the team. He’s a character thats for sure, near impossible to read any of his quotes without trying to impersonate his accent. A wonderful addition for Irish rugby.
@Ian Verdon: it’s a shame the timing didn’t work out for him for this World Cup. He’d have been a serious weapon to have in Japan. I wouldn’t have had him starting, he’s not as good as stockdale or earls but I’d definitely have him ahead of larmour or Conway. The 23 jersey would have been his own. Him coming off the bench against tired legs would have been class.
@Jim Demps: I think he’s still a bit loose in play if you get me, Irish teams over the years certainly don’t take the risks he does but when they pay off they’re fantastic. He’ll be certainly be in the side come the next World Cup(If he chooses to be that is), his offensive brain is something that none of our players have, he’s just so unpredictable and has a vast array of offensive weapons. His defensive work has improved significantly imo, he’ll only get better too.
@Jim Demps: having said that he’ll be 31 come the next World Cup and some of the young lads in the academies which was highlighted with the U20’s last season look great prospects. Hopefully Lowe will age like Earls and get better as he hits his 30’s. More competition the merrier.
@Ian Verdon: he will certainly be of value that us when he qualifies. A 4 year World Cup cycle can be a long time in rugby in terms of how a squad might look given injuries retirements etc. if he keeps his enthusiasm and as you said he wants it enough he should be in the frame. Lots of good young talent coming through too. Having depth is always a good thing.
@Ian Verdon: Id have my doubts on how well he’ll age with his frame and condition. Bigger lads don’t tend to age well and then you throw in his arthritis. But I’d love him to still be flying in 4 years. He brings so much on and off the pitch. Works his ass off but does everything with a smile on his face. The way he speaks so openly is a breath of fresh air too from the manufactured sound bites were so used to.
@Eddie Hekenui: I forgot about his arthritis, I have family members who surfer terribly with it, makes the level he performs to even more remarkable. It could certainly effect his longevity coupled with his bulk. Hopefully it doesn’t as he’s a joy to watch. His attitude is infectious.
@Ian Verdon: Yeah when you here him talk about his early years you realise how remarkable a career he’s had and why he is the way he is. I hope he keeps holding it off and keeps playing at the standard he currently does. He’d be a huge asset to Ireland. Anyone I know who’s met him in NZ or since he came to Ireland raves about the guy. One of the good ones.
@Eddie Hekenui: i had a very brief interaction with him last season, big smiley head on him, his legs were like tree trunks. A great signing and a testament to the value of signing sh players. The young lads in the academy will be learning so much off him, apparently he is very good at giving his time to them, the likes of Russell, Smith and Kelly will gain so much for having him in and around them.
@Ian Verdon: Big legs and a gigantic ass. You can see why he’s so hard to tackle. Great to hear he’s so good with the young lads. We need that outside influence with young guys when so many of our players are home grown. They can provide new ideas, new perspective and will challenge the norms.
@Eddie Hekenui: your first sentence followed by the two next sentences make for an interesting innuendo reading haha. It’s the skill sets the players learn down in the sh from an early age that differs from ours and the general different playing styles, rugby cultures etc having a few guys of a certain caliber come into a club here and giving their time and experience and actual playing with them and against them daily in training can only help grow the young academy lads and younger fringe players.
@Ian Verdon: Haha it does to be fair!! Yeah the underage rugby set up is totally different in part because kids down there grow up with a ball in their hands and it’s like a religion. You see skills and offloading there at underage games that the professionals in Ireland would struggle to recreate. Seeing guys like Lowe with the skill to throw some of the passes he throws and the confidence in himself to do so can only be good for young players. We can take that and fold it into the stuff we as a nation bring to the game,
@Eddie Hekenui: yeah it’s a much more free and flowing style alright. Getting the balance between the two styles for me is key, sometimes it drives me mad seeing the Super rugby and mitre cup teams offloading when it’s not on, if I was a coach I would go through people for that, obviously when the time is right offload but when at times it seems for the sake of it I would much prefer my player to take the contract, set it up nicely and quickly recycle it. That’s the big nh head in me coming out I guess. Lowe seems to make the right decision regarding when to offload or not, there’s been progression on that part of his game too as in the nh there’s a much bigger emphasis on securing possession imo.
@Ian Verdon: The thing with that offloading is they tighten it up when it matters but the reps they get during the season mean they’re far more likely to pull it off in the big games. The guy offloading trusts his skills and the guys running into them know what to expect.
I’ve a fantasy rugby league set up for the World Cup for the 42. If anyone is interested in joining it just mail me at jimdemps1@yahoo.com and I’ll send you on the details.
Will be interesting to see are the anti Kleyn brigade going to do the same for Lowe ?
@Luke O’Mahony: Luke Fitz has nailed his colours to the mast. He’ll surely have to object!!!
@Luke O’Mahony: No they won’t. For most it’s an anti Munster thing. I personally look forward to him playing for Ireland
@Decko49: not sure it’s anti Munster at all. Aki had to put up with awful crap. There was huge media nonsense when he first played.
@Luke O’Mahony: They should. I will. I love James Lowe but I’d rather he didn’t play for Ireland. I’m not gonna boycott the team if he does put the jersey on, though. Same with Kleyn, Aki, Stander, Strauss etc the rules are there and no-one is breaking them
@Kevin: Yeah he did. But I said for most it’s anti Munster. But it won’t happen with Lowe I bet
@Decko49: tripe.
@Kevin: considering Fitzgerald’s biggest slat was towards Strauss this anti munster is more paranoid Bull.
@Chris Mc: Tripe? So you think all you Leinster fans will be up in arms about Lowe playing for Ireland? What’s your opinion about it so?
@Decko49: Not all Leinster fans are up in arms about Klein. Initially I’d imagine it was tough to see Klein’s name there and not Toner. Now I think most have accepted it and moved on to support the team. Aki, Strauss, bent, Roux all got stick from different quarters so this Anti Munster stuff is very paranoid
@Luke walkee: If you read my original post you will see I said most not all Leinster fans. Of course there are some Leinster fans ok with Klein but most of the uproar is from Leinster fans or ex Leinster players. If and when Lowe plays for Ireland in certain there will be som Munster fans up in arms about it. It’s part of this Leinster Munster thing. It’s not bring paranoid it’s just a fact. As I said Earlier if he improves Ireland I will be delighted to see him play for us.
@Decko49: I’m a Leinster fan and I support anyone who wears an Irish jersey, I don’t personally like the rule as Lowe said himself it’s a bit stupid but when Ireland go on to the pitch it’s Ireland and that’s more than the sum of its parts. I’d admit to thinking that Leaving toner is not a great decision but That’s purely a rugby choice.
If James Lowe is selected for Ireland then best of luck to him as the coach believes he’s the best option.
@Decko49: Fitzgerald’s biggest example is an ex Leinster player and a team mate of his. You have a problem that Fitzgerald’s an ex Leinster player so you automatically presume it’s an attack on Munster. That’s more your problem than the most Leinster fans you seem to know so much about.
@Chris Mc: Well you seem to know loads about me!!!!! Look at the comments on here over the last couple of months. It’s mainly Leinster fans who are up in arms. That’s a fact. Show me if I’m wrong. Secondly a few ex Leinster players have talked about Klein being in the squad before Toner and they are not In agreement. Joe picked his squad. He’s the man looking at them in training every day so he must have seen something to convince him Klein was the man to bring. So in Joe we trust.
@Chris Mc: We do agree on the fact that we are both Ireland fans and will support any one who is picked. Good man on that part .
@Decko49: again I thought that it was the wrong decision at the time but it had nothing to do with a Leinster player been dropped. From the outside we don’t look like we have a great lineout. Toner can help if it’s not working.
Again if some ex Leinster players say they’d rather an Irish player before a foreign born Irish player it’s not an attack on munster just because the most recent player players for munster.
I’d have selected Marmion before McGrath. Does make me anti Leinster?
@Chris Mc: Maybe you’re not anti Munster. But there are a few on here. And there are a few anti Leinster people on here too from Munster. I’ve heard a couple of Leinster fans saying it should be an all Leinster team. Not on here. In person. Which is totally ridiculous. At the end of the day when it comes to Ireland I support whoever is playing just like you. As for the foreign players. Most countries do it. If we don’t we could get left behind.
@Decko49:
Deck I really don’t think so :: playing for Munster or Ulster etc. does not mean anything the complaints I have read was the 1 cap player from S A getting his place :: not where he was playing from:: in my case once Joe picks him I am ok with it; he is playing by the rules and that means he is welcome :: Joe had a reason so be it ::
he’s not young at 27!… Similar in character to Zebo.
@thesaltyurchin: I think they’re very similar. Both seem to have the bit of craic on the pitch, they look like they’re enjoying it whereas the template for the modern pro seems to be to look as intense & driven as possible. I think that’s why both players are loved by their own fans and hated by portions of the opposition’s. I personally think Lowe is a cracking player & a great addition to Irish rugby, players of his quality are getting harder to recruit with french & Japanese money
@Tim Magner: definitely a great addition. It’s the system that some of these payers buy into, more than a price tag. Hopefully he can run that gauntlet of ‘enjoyment and craic’ better than Zebo, who’s efforts proved only that the Irish are no fans of a ‘jack-flash’.
Love his take on rugby in Leinster. Agree that the IRFU are really trying to close that gap and expand their playing pool to reach all walks of life but he’s hit the nail on the head with respect to how much of a leg up someone in a fee paying school gets vs any other school
Another foreigner?
Look forward to seeing and hearing his comments.Reading the article Im guessing James will be a pundit/ co commentator specifically on the Pacific Islanders