IF TOMMY BOWE is to step into Brian O’Driscoll’s shoes for Ireland’s November internationals, it will not be a plan that has been long in the making.
Ireland’s outside centre position is one of the main areas up for question after the retirement of the world record caps holder.
So, having been O’Driscoll’s stand-in in the number 13 jersey on a Lions tour, it would stand to reason that Bowe was in with a shout after the great centre retired. Yet after working closely with Ireland’s assistant coach Les Kiss as his interim (and future boss), as far as Bowe is aware, it’s not the case:
“It wasn’t discussed with me,” says the Monaghan man with a raised eyebrow.
“Whether he sat and talked to Jared [Payne] about what his plans were with him, I don’t know, but I think Les very much had an Ulster hat on.”
Really, Tommy? Not even in training?
“No, he ran Louis Ludik at 13 a fair bit. For a lot of it I was doing my own stuff. I was doing conditioning and, certainly in the early games in the league, I was kind of doing my own thing with the other guys coming back.
“So, no, never got a run out at 13. Whether that says I’m not going to get a chance at 13, I don’t know.
“But listen, I’m not very worried about 13 at the minute. It’s not very high on my priority list. I’m more concentrating on myself and probably in the wing position at the moment. Jeez, there’s enough competition on that to be worried about than worried about trying to pick up a new position.”
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Tommy Bowe teamed up with Guinness to announce extraordinary experiences for rugby fans on the Guinness Plus mobile App. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Bowe’s satisfaction withwinning a place on either wing is down to more than just the competition he beats to the punch. His last two years have been stop-start affaits, a case of injury frustration following another for the 30-year-old.
His last weeks with the Ospreys in 2012 were spent in the stands as he recovered from a kidney injury. Midway through his first season back on home soil he damaged knee ligaments while sprinting up the wing in Heineken Cup pool match against Northampton. He won’t be able to look back on the Lions tour without thinking of the non-stop physio treatment to his hand and wrist. Last season, a groin injury picked up against New Zealand relegated him to the rank of a supporter like all the rest of us while his peers claimed the Six Nations title in Paris.
James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Even after that rehab and return to play, he found himself having to play through the pain for his province.
We feel an ache just thinking about it, but this past summer has finally brought some relief for the Monaghan man.
“A groin injury is the worst I’ve ever had and it just seemed not to want to go away,” Bowe said as he looked out at the pitch on Lansdowne Road at the launch of the Guinness Plus app.
‘I feel like I’ve a new leg’
“[For] a player whose main job is to be able to sprint, it’s not a nice injury to have. I went off to America during the summer to have surgery on it – I don’t know what he did but it worked.
“I played the last six or eight games of [last] season and got through them, but I wasn’t 100%, far from it.
“After surgery during the summer, I feel like I’ve a new leg now. And being given that opportunity to miss the summer tour, having a prolonged pre-season – that’s the first proper pre-season I’ve had in I don’t know how many years - I feel like I’m back now.
“I’m hitting all the GPS markers and getting PBs with all the stuff and physically I feel great at the minute. Hopefully, touch wood, I can stay injury free for a while.”
Good thing too. Because having been absent for most of Ireland’s Six Nations and summer tour camps, there is very little wiggle room in Joe Schmidt’s world.
Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
“There’s been a few one and two-day camps at the start of this season. If you miss out on one week, [or] two days with Joe, you find you have to kind of play catch-up a little bit. He doesn’t wait for people. If you’re not on the ball, well that’s your own tough luck.
“I find that a bit of a challenge, I find it exciting and even just getting back down to Irish camp, I love it. It’s great to be down there catching up with the boys again and to feel there’s that competition to really have to push to get an opportunity to play.”
On the wing.
Supporters who download the Guinness Plus App will have the chance to win the ultimate experience where they won’t miss a moment of the action from Rome to Edinburgh at next year’s RBS Six Nations.
One lucky winner plus two friends will win tickets to all of Ireland’s home matches as well as trips to Ireland’s away matches in Italy, Wales and Scotland. Rugby fans can check into the pub between Monday 20th October 2014 and 22nd November 2014 to be in with the chance to win.
Bowe setting new PBs, but won't be turned into a centre any time soon
IF TOMMY BOWE is to step into Brian O’Driscoll’s shoes for Ireland’s November internationals, it will not be a plan that has been long in the making.
Ireland’s outside centre position is one of the main areas up for question after the retirement of the world record caps holder.
So, having been O’Driscoll’s stand-in in the number 13 jersey on a Lions tour, it would stand to reason that Bowe was in with a shout after the great centre retired. Yet after working closely with Ireland’s assistant coach Les Kiss as his interim (and future boss), as far as Bowe is aware, it’s not the case:
“It wasn’t discussed with me,” says the Monaghan man with a raised eyebrow.
“Whether he sat and talked to Jared [Payne] about what his plans were with him, I don’t know, but I think Les very much had an Ulster hat on.”
Really, Tommy? Not even in training?
“No, he ran Louis Ludik at 13 a fair bit. For a lot of it I was doing my own stuff. I was doing conditioning and, certainly in the early games in the league, I was kind of doing my own thing with the other guys coming back.
“So, no, never got a run out at 13. Whether that says I’m not going to get a chance at 13, I don’t know.
“But listen, I’m not very worried about 13 at the minute. It’s not very high on my priority list. I’m more concentrating on myself and probably in the wing position at the moment. Jeez, there’s enough competition on that to be worried about than worried about trying to pick up a new position.”
Bowe’s satisfaction with winning a place on either wing is down to more than just the competition he beats to the punch. His last two years have been stop-start affaits, a case of injury frustration following another for the 30-year-old.
His last weeks with the Ospreys in 2012 were spent in the stands as he recovered from a kidney injury. Midway through his first season back on home soil he damaged knee ligaments while sprinting up the wing in Heineken Cup pool match against Northampton. He won’t be able to look back on the Lions tour without thinking of the non-stop physio treatment to his hand and wrist. Last season, a groin injury picked up against New Zealand relegated him to the rank of a supporter like all the rest of us while his peers claimed the Six Nations title in Paris.
Even after that rehab and return to play, he found himself having to play through the pain for his province.
We feel an ache just thinking about it, but this past summer has finally brought some relief for the Monaghan man.
“A groin injury is the worst I’ve ever had and it just seemed not to want to go away,” Bowe said as he looked out at the pitch on Lansdowne Road at the launch of the Guinness Plus app.
‘I feel like I’ve a new leg’
“[For] a player whose main job is to be able to sprint, it’s not a nice injury to have. I went off to America during the summer to have surgery on it – I don’t know what he did but it worked.
“I played the last six or eight games of [last] season and got through them, but I wasn’t 100%, far from it.
“After surgery during the summer, I feel like I’ve a new leg now. And being given that opportunity to miss the summer tour, having a prolonged pre-season – that’s the first proper pre-season I’ve had in I don’t know how many years - I feel like I’m back now.
Good thing too. Because having been absent for most of Ireland’s Six Nations and summer tour camps, there is very little wiggle room in Joe Schmidt’s world.
“There’s been a few one and two-day camps at the start of this season. If you miss out on one week, [or] two days with Joe, you find you have to kind of play catch-up a little bit. He doesn’t wait for people. If you’re not on the ball, well that’s your own tough luck.
“I find that a bit of a challenge, I find it exciting and even just getting back down to Irish camp, I love it. It’s great to be down there catching up with the boys again and to feel there’s that competition to really have to push to get an opportunity to play.”
On the wing.
Supporters who download the Guinness Plus App will have the chance to win the ultimate experience where they won’t miss a moment of the action from Rome to Edinburgh at next year’s RBS Six Nations.
One lucky winner plus two friends will win tickets to all of Ireland’s home matches as well as trips to Ireland’s away matches in Italy, Wales and Scotland. Rugby fans can check into the pub between Monday 20th October 2014 and 22nd November 2014 to be in with the chance to win.
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13 Centre of attention centre options November Internationals 2013 Ireland Next in Line? T-Bowe Leicester Tigers South Africa Tommy Bowe Ulster