THERE HAVE PROBABLY been times in the very recent past where Munster players have had issues with James Lowe.

Obviously, they won’t have enjoyed his power in possession, his finishing ability, or his offloading skills – no one Lowe plays against looks forward to dealing with those things.

But they definitely won’t have liked his abrasive, confrontational personality on the pitch.

While he loves a joke and a laugh during games, Lowe has a spiky side too and there have been a couple of run-ins with Munster men, perhaps most notably Andrew Conway. 

So it would have been fascinating to be a fly on the wall for Lowe’s first few days in Ireland camp. To be fair, he is an infectiously positive character off the pitch and all reports so far are that he has rapidly gone about becoming a popular figure.

Ex-Ireland and Leinster fullback Rob Kearney, who is obviously still very well connected to the camp, is hearing good things.

“I know that he’s settled into the national camp really well,” said Kearney, who is part of Premier Sports’ team for the Autumn Nations Cup.

“He’s built up a very quick rapport with the Munster lads where there probably would have been an element of concern from those boys as to what sort of character he is. 

“That’s the beauty of it. You play against guys provincially and you think they’re not particularly nice people but you get into camp and you build up relationships with them and you start to see a really good side of them.”

Lowe certainly brings a different personality into an Ireland camp that features lots of players who are extremely detail-focused and obsessive about their classroom learning. 

Kearney played with Lowe in Leinster. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

The New Zealander has a more laidback, fun approach and Kearney can remember his first impressions upon Lowe’s arrival in Leinster in 2017.

“He is such a free spirit,’ said Kearney. “That sort of happy-go-lucky guy you see on the field is the person that you’d see on a Monday morning. 

“With a lot of these big, larger-than-life characters, when you initially meet them you’re like, ‘Is this fella the full shilling here?’ You’re never really sure what to make of them!”

As for what he will bring on the pitch for Ireland, Kearney has no doubt the left wing can do damage in attack but point out that Test rugby will involve a steep learning curve defensively.

“When you put the ball in his hands he is such a weapon and he’s really dangerous. He’s a hard man to stop, he loves getting involved in the play. 

“I think his biggest challenge this weekend is going to be without the ball. We all know what he can do with the ball in hand, but at international level, what you do without the ball is as important, if not more important. 

“So I think that’s the area that everyone is going to be paying real attention to. 

“You’ve got those couple of seconds less to think and to do your role. Defensive errors don’t get punished every time provincially, whereas at international level it’s a try every single time.

“Sometimes you make a bad defensive error provincially and the opposition, through lack of execution won’t take full advantage. But internationally, you just can’t afford to make any errors.”

Working with Lowe in the Ireland back three tomorrow will be his Leinster team-mate Hugo Keenan and Jacob Stockdale, with the Ulsterman set for just his third start at fullback at Test level.

Kearney is set for a move to the Western Force. Ramsey Cardy Ramsey Cardy

The 24-year-old made errors in his most recent outing against France, while also showing his power on the ball and demonstrating his excellent left-footed kicking game.

Kearney knows all about the demands of being Ireland’s fullback, of course, and calls it “one of the loneliest positions on the field”.

As Stockdale looks to continue learning the position, Kearney says people need to be patient.

“We know what he can do with ball in hand. It’s the positional stuff and some of those things that look very easy that are difficult at times. Those bouncing balls, it’s slippy as well, you’re half a metre out of position and it’s going to cost you.

“Jacob is playing in a different position and that is something we need to appreciate. We’re moving a guy from the wing to fullback and it’s a completely different position.

“It does take time and we need to give him time in the position to fully judge how he’s doing there.

“We know he has all the attributes to be an excellent fullback but it’s just nailing all those small little moments that can sometimes just be as simple as levels of concentration.

“Positionally, making sure you’re covering up those scraps. The bread and butter stuff of the position that people take for granted and can have big impacts on games if you get them wrong.

“He’s a class act, I think he’s getting a bit of a rough time at the moment unfairly.”

You can watch Autumn Nations Cup action live on Premier Sports via the ‘Sports Extra’ pack on Sky’.