James Lowe ready for action after 'awesome learning curve' of being dropped

James Lowe: 'To go away, be told you're not good enough and this is what you need to work on, you look yourself in the mirror'. Picture: INPHO/Billy Stickland

No-one likes being dropped but James Lowe has described his omission from Andy Farrell’s Ireland team at the end of the last Six Nations as an “awesome learning curve” ahead of his return to the XV for Saturday’s meeting with Japan in Dublin.

Great things were expected of the Leinster winger when he qualified to play for Ireland late last year but a string of defensive issues across his first six caps ultimately led to him being stood down for the last Championship outing, at home to England, in March.