Could Bowe be a lucky 13?

Tommy Bowe may be in a rich vein of try-scoring form right now on the Irish wing but if duty called he would be more than happy to move inside and get to grips with a midfield role.

Bowe, with three tries to his name already in this year’s RBS 6 Nations, will once again be on the wing for Ireland on Sunday afternoon against France at Stade de France. Yet while he grabbed two of those scores in last Saturday’s victory over Italy he finished the game at outside centre, as head coach Declan Kidney continues to assess his option in that position in the absence of the injured Brian O’Driscoll.

Munster’s Keith Earls started in the number 13 Ireland jersey made so iconic by O’Driscoll and his extended time in the position during his province’s winning run to next month’s Heineken Cup quarter-finals has made him the standout candidate so far to become his country’s outside centre once O’Driscoll retires.