Another string to his Bowe

GROWING up in Emyvale, Co Monaghan, and later as a student at Armagh Royal School, Tommy Bowe never visualised trotting out at Lansdowne Road to take on the mighty All Blacks.

But that’s how the 21 year-old UU Jordanstown construction engineering student will spend next Saturday afternoon, and he doesn’t mind admitting it could be a “scary” experience.

“They play very exciting rugby, the kind of rugby every team strives to play, and are a hugely entertaining team to watch. For me to be playing against that is going to be scary. They are such lethal finishers, so quick around the park and with such good skills but I’m looking forward to it and it’s going to be a great challenge.”

Eddie O’Sullivan’s options in the three-quarter line were reduced because of the injuries to Brian O’Driscoll and Denis Hickie but he plumped for Bowe because of his fine form for Ulster in the Heineken Cup and Celtic League. The Ireland coach clearly hopes Bowe will become a key member of his three-quarter line come the 2007 World Cup.

Bowe’s a big boy, 6’ 2” and more than 14 stone, but he would like to believe he got the nod for more than just his physical presence.

“I’m sure a number of things would have been running through Eddie’s head,” he reasoned. “I just hope to go out there and do as he asks.

“The weather is going to be a huge factor. New Zealand weather is meant to be similar to here, they know all about wind and rain. I don’t know whether we’d prefer to play on a slightly greasy surface where their handling might not be as good or whether we’d like a good, dry surface on which we could play good rugby ourselves, but we’ll just have to wait and see what we get.”

My impression that Bowe was the first Monaghan man to play for Ireland was demolished by the man himself. “As far as I know, the same individual also played tennis for Ireland at Wimbledon as well as cricket about 80 years ago. I don’t know his name except that he was from Clones.”

Bowe’s rise is a great tribute to the people who keep junior clubs going in difficult circumstances. He started as a youngster with Monaghan RFC before moving on to Armagh Royal where he was chosen for Ulster schoolboys although passed over by Ireland.

From there, he turned out for Queens University for a couple of season before being contracted by Ulster and then Ireland.

He describes Ulster coach Mark McCall and his assistant Allen Clarke as “huge influences” on his career and also played under them with the Ireland U21s.

“They’ve already been on to wish me luck on Saturday,” he said. “They are very good man managers and give me that little bit of extra confidence that is so important on the pitch.

“After the first minute, I’ll forget I’m the only Ulsterman on the field on Saturday and there’s any number of them on the bench. It’s good to have so many of us involved and I think this is the best representation we’ve had in a long time. I don’t think I’ll be the only Ulsterman on the pitch at the end of the match.

“Saturday is going to be a mighty test for Ireland. New Zealand are at their most dangerous when they turn over the ball. That’s when they click into gear and that’s where they get most of their tries. It’s going to be very important for me, if I do get to make a break, not to throw away the ball.

“Something I enjoy is trying to put a bit of skill into the offload. However, in a game like this, it mightn’t always be on so it may be the time to take the careful approach. But I wouldn’t rule out the odd run and if it doesn’t work out, don’t bite me on the back for that.”