WHILE A GREAT deal of discussion around the international squad has swirled about the merits of the fullback from Ulster, the northern province have been rattling along nicely with another big prospect at 15.
Mike Lowry developed his game as a 10 and his talents were well flagged as he came through the academy at Newforge.
Yet the 22-year-old is quickly winning admirers in the back field.
“His whole game at fullback has really matured over the past number of weeks,” says Ulster defence coach Jared Payne, who is just about the best person to judge.
“He’s starting to make good decisions in counter attack – when to kick, when to run – he’s a lot more efficient there.
“His defensive positioning has come along massively. He hadn’t played a lot of fullback until he came to us, so he’s stawrting to understand the game well back there.”
At just 5′ 7″, Lowry clearly operates without a few physical advantages that are increasingly becoming the average across every position across the back-line. But what he lacks in stature he makes up for with his skill-set.
And no little application.
“He works hard, he’s one of the hardest workers in the team which helps him. He’s keen to play rugby and learn about it. He’s a pleasure to work with. He’s really progressing at the back, it’s great to see.
“Both sides of the ball he’s really coming along and the last few weeks have been a step up in his 15 smarts, I guess you could call it. Game sense.”
As a player, Payne was required to play the highest level of the game in different positions. Most often a fullback for Ulster, Ireland head coach of the day Joe Schmidt preferred to use him in the centre. 15 to 10 is a far more common switch, but each move has its challenges.
“The more you do it, you learn your own little things you’ve got to do to make sure you transition right.
“Mikey’s a different person to me, I’m not sure what he does to get his mind right in between positions, but I think it’s just getting him out on the pitch, mate.”
It’s a sentiment Payne espouses regularly. There is little substitute for experience whether it be developing as a 15 or working kinks and mistakes out of a young player’s defensive habits.
“They’ve a bit to learn,” Payne says with a smile when prospects such as Lowry, James Hume, Ethan McIlroy and Stewart Moore are put to him as a group.
“But the strides they’re making is awesome. It’s always tough at this level, things happen a lot quicker, you make mistakes.
“The likes of James Hume or Stewart Moore might get picked off out in the 13 channel, which you might not at a younger level. It’s tough for them, but they’re learning heaps and they’re developing as good defensive players.
They just have to get out and learn, don’t they. I haven’t met any player that doesn’t make mistakes in a game, it’s all part of it.
“As long as they’re out there trying to learn from their mistakes and trying to get better.”
Dublin would have been perfect. No problem for the athletes sourcing drugs.
The Olympics in Dublin……. Hahahahaha…..
Can’t get 6 Garth Brooks concerts sorted but can do the Olympics?? Yeah…..nah.
Haha brilliant. No other city had drugs problems. That’s why it’s so funny
Would have got it if we had included a decent bribes committee
Here we go again the auld Irish attitude laughng at such a bid. We have some marvelous rivers that would be brilliant for the canoeing. Brilliant golf courses. We have an 85,000 capacity stadium for track and field. We have the Aviva for the soccer, I am sure one of our many 30,000 + GAA Stadia could be used for sevens rugby. The 3 Arena for boxing. The list goes on. We could and we should be hosting an Olympics, World Cup and Euros.
Where is this 85,000 seat track and field stadium?!! Because croagh park doesn’t have a track last time I looked.
I do think holding the Olympics would be a stretch too far for a country of 4.6 million, however at the same time we do seriously need to shake off the small town attitude we have. Any badly needed major infrastructure project is often met with laughs of “ah shur what do we need that for you’d swear we’re all living in New York” or something along those lines.
Perhaps holding the Rugby World Cup would be a very achievable aim that would help people become a little bit more ambitious about the development of this country.
Yes and where were we going to get the money for revamping crokepark and the other stadiums? The Olympic village would be a bit of a problem don’t you think and families homeless? Not too mention the money that would have to be spent on public transport and infastruture in order to be even considered.
And plenty of turnstiles for the hurdle races
Don’t we have every nationality living in Dublin
Just organize them
Just alone regarding Croke Park:
Despite now being Europe’s 3rd largest stadium and sandwiched between two railway lines, it does not have even one railway station.
Moreover, a railway station was supposed to be provided when the stadium was redeveloped.
Yet strangely, when the GAA redeveloped above the railway tracks a few years ago, the station was never built – but CIE got two corporate boxes for heart own private use.
Now the GAA are baffled as to why the natives object when events such as concerts are proposed, yet all the while, the main and most obvious problem is movement of people – i.e. a transport issue.
If those in authority are too arrogant or oblivious so as to provide such obvious facilities – where infrastructure is already present regarding one stadium – it can only be considered a great blessing that Dublin was not burdened with further incompetence that would have happened with Olympics.
Engage brain before posting Phil. The article says back in the early 90′s we had no infrastructure. Most of the golf courses you refer to along with croke park the aviva the national aquatic centre were not built. Gay Mitchell was a gob sh**e back then and still is. Thankfully the people saw that when he went for president. Again I point out we had nothing as CJ had spent everything and hived it off for himself and his cronies.
It would’ve been our best chance at getting GAA into the Olympics…
Yes. We could’ve competed against ourselves. Guaranteed gold.
The Aussies would probably beat us in the football though
Poor old DOB would have made an absolute fortune in renting out his barriers – I bet you he is still wringing his hands and crying into his brandy over missing out.
That feasibility study must have cost a bit.
We couldn’t hold a Web summit
With the politicians in Ireland they would be off and running with all Comercial profits before the competition even started. A joke, the whole concept in the banans republic that the Irish politicians have shafted to their own gain going back to De Valera’s time. Tony Gregory was the last true Irish politician with integrity but then he didn’t have much competition
Gay mitchell is a populist. He wanted the headlines but never intended to host anything
I’m not sure how the beach volleyball would have fared on Dollymount Strand with the cold cold, wind and showers.
People thought it was a joke because it was a joke
Gay Mitchell is one of the biggest toolbags this country ever had, the first mainstream party candidate in the history of the state to lose his deposit when he ran for the Presidency !! His idea was completely mad & wasted a load of money at a time when the country hadn’t an ass in it’s pants. Deserves to be punched everytime he shows his weasel face in public !
Gay Mitchell is dead, have a pinch of respect ffs.
Gay Mitchel is not dead. His brother Jim is.
The poor of Brazil will suffer for decades because of the money they had to out into hosting it. No thanks leave it to bigger nations that have the money.
Olympics are a giant money pit. Way this county is we’re very lucky someone came to their senses and said no
It was a ridiculous idea, then same as now.
Irwin accused Mick Wallace of looking like a tramp. I can never listen to his west Brit voice after that. He also used his charity to run for the seanad.
The Dublin Dons would have been great
Cheaper to host than the recent bailout
well glad that didn’t go ahead would haven been yet more money spent on Dublin and the rest of the country shafted again! Dublin produces a log of gdp for Ireland…which is not a surprise given all development takes place there and so many people from outside sublime have had to move there dubliners can’t afford a house anymore. How ironic.
Dreaming in that is like Leitrim winning the all Ireland!
Amazing how public money can be spent on the ridiculous and it seem to be a relentless trait by the buffoons in power.