AT THE AGE of 24, Mike Lowry could somehow find himself as the most experienced of Ulster’s back three for tomorrow’s United Rugby Championship clash with the Ospreys.
Injury has robbed the province of Will Addison and now Jacob Stockdale. Emerging Ireland commitments mean Robert Baloucoune and Ethan McIlroy are both absent.
While Craig Gilroy is available, Ben Moxham looks to be the next cab off the rank based on the pecking order for last week’s game against Leinster.
So, assuming that it is indeed Moxham who gets the nod to step into the back three alongside Lowry and Aaron Sexton, it would be the fullback and his 68 provincial caps who would be the so-called elder statesman of the trio, a new experience for the one-time Ireland international.
“In the past, having learnt from so many experienced players, I feel in a more comfortable role now,” explains the former RBAI stand-out.
I’ve learned a lot over the last few years and feel I can share that with younger fellas and really step up in a leadership role. The more you know the team, your system and the way everyone works, it gives confidence to be able to give out orders or to help others and I feel comfortable doing that.
“The young lads have taken on leadership roles. Doaky (Nathan Doak) is away with Emerging Ireland but the likes of him have come in and learnt a lot off the likes of John (Cooney) and older lads and really started to up his leadership.
“It’s the same with everyone, we all respect each other enough to be like ‘you’re right there’ or take responsibility in what they’re doing.
“I’m happy enough to help but I think they’re smart enough as well.”
That maturity is serving Lowry well, and is one of the things that Ulster are hoping will be the difference between last year’s team and this when it comes to potentially bringing silverware back to Kingspan Stadium at the end of the season.
The province didn’t sign any significant figures during the off-season, rather opting to bring in depth pieces such as Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Sean Reffell, Michael McDonald and Jake Flannery, instead trusting that the squad they have already accumulated will take the required step forward that will take them over the line.
Such levels of trust are slightly tougher to retain after a result like last week’s loss to Leinster, a 20-13 defeat that saw the province struggle in the wild and wet conditions, and also means that they cannot repeat last season’s double over their inter-provincial rivals.
“It’s always a difficult weekend and everyone thinks of what they’ve done wrong or what they could have done better and everyone is probably in the same boat in terms of we expect to win,” adds Lowry.
“We just don’t hope we’re going to win, when we’re playing at home we just expect to win.
“You do have to be squeaky clean against Leinster and we realise that. It’s being precise in those moments and realising it’s big moments that win games.
There were a few areas of our game that weren’t good enough against Leinster and that’s where we conceded the points. There was going to be a lot of kicking either side and Leinster kicked really well and they potentially kicked better than we did, or earlier than we did, and we tried to force it a bit sometimes.
“They are the learnings we will take. It was fine margins and that’s all Leinster need.”
So the hope is that things will improve for the arrival of the Ospreys to Kingspan Stadium tomorrow and that Ulster can get back on the winning track against a side that is experiencing something of a mini-resurgence this season thus far.
But perhaps more intriguingly it is a chance for them to rectify what head coach Dan McFarland declared was a below-par performance a week ago. The conditions played their part, granted, but Ulster were not happy with the effort they put forth, particularly at home.
“It’s another opportunity to right the wrongs of last week,” concurred Lowry.
“It’s going to be a similar task up front as they have good forwards and dangerous backs, the Ospreys are in great form at the minute and it’ll be another tough challenge.
“Conditions were really unplayable last weekend, and we spoke about it from an attack perspective and we probably could have kicked a little bit more.
“We’ve already seen from the Connacht and Scarlets game that our attack shape is looking really good and has room for improvement, which is great to see as well.”
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Crazy decision. Completely accidental clash of heads.
A five game ban for this is outrageous. How is a decision like that arrived at. It was clearly accidental.
Cant watch the clips because I’m in Australia ffs. But the fans I’ve spoke to say it’s a yellow a most and even that’s harsh. Any truth to this??
@Dara: no
@Dara: Do they not have YouTube in Australia ?
Shameful decision. Warranted a yellow card at best. He’ll be badly missed for the ECC games where his brawn and explosive speed would have levelled things up for Connacht.
Whatever about whether it was right or wrong, how can they suspend 1 week off the 6 week ban for ‘remorse’ when the red card was challenged? Surely that is a prime indication that not alone was there no remorse but the feeling was that it wasn’t even a red card. This incident aside, I would be concerned that the judicial process is flawed on that basis.
His biggest mistake was not being Owen Farrell.
I think he’s a lucky lad to only get 5 weeks, accidental or not he clearly didn’t learn his lesson from the last high shot.
@Jim Demps: I don’t think people here understand. The tackler has an obligation to tackle safely. Accidental or not he has made head to head contact which could have been avoided. The player doesn’t dip in fact he may even come up a little at impact. It’s a clear red and when it’s your second of the season 5 weeks seems lenient.
@Jim Demps: It was an accidental clash of heads after the attacking player changed his running line. I think 5 weeks is harsh, I’d love to see how they arrived at this decision. He does need to lower his tackle height though. Owen Farrell only got 5 weeks for tackle on Charlie Atkinson and in terms of intent those tackles are like chalk and cheese. With Farrells tackling track record it should have been far longer.
@Jayme Mc Goldrick: yeah that’s it. Accidental or not the outcome is still a dangerous tackle. I get why people are annoyed, I’d probably be the same if it was a munster player but it’s not like it’s a new rule, a head shot has never been legal.
@MacEoin.T: I think the decision is pretty clear, he got 6 weeks the first time and it was reduced to 3 for having a clear record. He then got 6 weeks this time and didn’t get the reduction for having a clear record. If anything I’d be saying he didn’t deserve the one week reduction given he clearly hasn’t learnt his lesson.
@Jim Demps: Out of interest, does a player get a clear record at the beginning of each season or is it a pro career duration timeframe?
@MacEoin.T: I know in the amateur game in Ireland they look at your records for 5 years so I assume it’s probably something similar. They definitely don’t get a clean slate at the start of the season anyway. Punishing repeat offenders more harshly I think is a good way to go. Like if Papalli gets sent off again for another high shot I’d say he could be looking at 10+ weeks.
@Jim Demps: he’ll be back in time for the game against Munster on the 9th of January Jim. We’ll get a proper look at him in action then.
@Jim Demps: Would you stop Jim, Farrell got the same ban for trying to take Atkinson’s head off and you’re arguing the Papali’i deserves the same? You’re dreaming lad.
@Paddy Kennedy: I’m not arguing anything, I’m saying that’s how it works. Farrell actually got a 10 week ban reduced by half for a first offence. Farrells was worse and he got a bigger ban, papalli is in the dock for the second time in four games and gets less of a reduction. It’s fairly straightforward
@David Finn: great stuff, hopefully he takes the time between now and then to learn how to tackle in Union. He’ll be a serious player once he irons out those mistakes.
@Paddy Kennedy: It was Farrell’s first red so he got more lenient treatment. The fact that Farrell should have had plenty of reds in recent seasons can’t be taken into account.
Players & coaches have to understand how seriously World Rugby is taking head injuries and act accordingly. That means a lower body position in any potential tackle situation.
Clearly difficult to get it right all the time so some players will get unlucky from time to time. Lack of intent doesn’t seem to be a mitigating factor.
Crazy biased decision.
That makes no sense. How the ref made out he led with his head is beyond me. The attacking player steps and papali has to change direction to make the tackle, their heads collide. 5 games is ridiculous.
Outrageous decision! Ref & TMO bottled it!!
I really don’t understand all the comments arguing that this is somehow disproportionate. It was a clear red card, it was clear he was going to get a significant ban and if he doesn’t learn how to tackle lower he’s going to miss more games than he plays. Crazy decision by Connacht to contest this and I’d argue you shouldn’t get a reduction if you contest the decision, as you’re clearly not remorseful if you think you didn’t commit an offence.
The hypocrisy on this forum , when it was Peter O Mahony deliberately targeting someone’s head in the ruck with his shoulder a few weeks ago (imo, is much worse than an accidental clash of heads) people here were saying ‘he was frustrated’ and ‘playing on the edge’!