Bowe shrugs-off Tiger attacks

IRELAND winger Tommy Bowe has described the furore over his Ospreys side playing a 16th man against Leicester last week as a “strange one”.

Leicester have formally complained to the ERC, but Bowe said yesterday he wasn’t getting “too worked up” about it.

“It was a strange one alright,” Bowe said. “We like to keep ye guessing. It was a bit of a blunder, a bit of an error. I don’t know what the story was. I was only playing so I don’t get too worked up about it.

“All I know is we’re through from a tough group and we only lost one match.”

So, did Bowe realise at the time there was an extra player on the pitch?

“Well, maybe, yes,” said the winger with a grin. “No, no we didn’t.”

Sorting out a new Ospreys contract was a “huge, huge relief”, said Bowe, adding: “It was a very difficult time for me. I’m from Ireland, there was a huge pull for me to come back to Ireland and be playing my rugby in my home country.

“But I had to look at it from a rugby point of view, and just thought that since going over there my game has definitely come on in leaps and bounds.

“The people suit me on the coaching side of things and from a purely rugby point of view it made sense that I stay where I am and keep going the way I am. Especially with the World Cup, it was a huge disappointment not to be involved in the World Cup last time, and to give myself the strongest chance.

“Coming back to Ireland might have helped me from some perspectives, but from a rugby point of view, staying where I am was important.”

Bowe pointed out that while Ireland coaches might find it difficult at times to watch one of their players in the English Premiership or in France, playing in the Magners League means coming up against Irish opposition once every couple of weeks.

“The coaches can watch matches, they’re all on TV and it gives me that little bit more of a chance of keeping in touch with the coaches. It may not be ideal, but for me it’s worked so far.”

The star of last year’s Lions tour spoke to Ireland coach Declan Kidney about playing abroad, however, and is conscious of the specific advantages of playing in Wales.

“I spoke to Declan a long time ago about it. He’s happy. He said it hasn’t worked against me in the past. He wasn’t going to tell me there and then whether it was in the future; it’s up to me, it’s my decision to make and he’ll go with it from there.

“Compared to the English and the French, where they would be expected back this weekend to play, the Ospreys are playing the Dragons but they’ve given me the weekend off to concentrate on the internationals.”

He acknowledges Ireland are “up there to be shot at” as Grand Slam champions.

“I think we have long-term goals but for the minute, and me personally, it’s getting myself back into the team and then concentrating solely on Italy.

“Last year we saw the impact of winning the first game against France. It was always going to be a massive match. First game in the Six Nations is always the biggest one and if we can get off to a big start we can hopefully build on it from there.”

Last year we also saw the impact of Bowe’s rendition of The Black Velvet Band onstage in Dublin. Is that ever likely to be forgotten?

“Eh, maybe if we win another Grand Slam but... it was a bit of fun at the time. I can kinda laugh at it now.”

Simon Cowell can relax, however. The big man from Monaghan is not looking for any new material.

“No, no, far from it,” says Bowe, shaking his head. “No, no.”