How a former Dublin GAA legend is helping the Irish rugby team rule the skies
James Lowe is ready for an aerial bombardment from the Springboks.
The reigning world champions have always looked to apply pressure from the skies, but Ireland should expect an even greater barrage of high balls.
The amended laws on kick chasers has seen a massive spike in contestable kicks of late.
Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
And Lowe is braced for a busy night of fielding under the Aviva Stadium floodlights. ‘Yeah, obviously, with the way the game is being reffed now, it’s completely different,’ the Leinster wing said. ‘The high ball – well, the contestable in the air – is completely different to what it was the last time we played against South Africa, over there in Durban.
Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire.
‘We actually put up a photo (in training) this morning to show how different it was. The thing we used to call the cradle, which was pretty much just protecting the catcher so that he could get a clean catch.
‘There were about six lads protecting a dude trying to go up and win a high ball!‘Now, obviously that’s changed and it’s brought a bit of a different dynamic to the game. And it’s incredibly tougher now. ‘Obviously, every contestable kick, there’s a collision in the air that you’ve got to worry about. ‘‘There’s trying to not knock it on, trying to win it clean. I think we only won one high ball clean on the weekend just gone and it was the first one, so that was Mackie. And then the other two where they could have been clean, me and Mack (Hansen) dropped it cold.‘So sure, look, it’s the way the game’s gone. And yeah, we are, we’re doing a lot more in training. There’s a lot more live contests in the air because you have to replicate it somehow. And obviously talking to the GAA boys and AFL boys when we’re in Australia as well, trying to pick up a few things because obviously that’s their bread and butter.’
Former Dublin star Brian Fenton has been into Ireland camp. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
Ireland have always been traditionally strong in the air, with a long tradition of players from GAA backgrounds using those transferable skills to great effect. Former Gaelic footballers such as Rob Kearney, Shane Horgan and Tommy O’Brien spring to mind.
Andy Farrell recently brought in a former Dublin GAA legend to give this squad some insights into claiming high balls. “We had Brian Fenton come in,’ Lowe revealed. ‘He was coming back from a shoulder operation. This was maybe Six Nations and that’s when the tide was sort of changing. ‘I mean, he’s massive, he’s such a big dude, lean has lettuce, 6’5” or 6’6”. He was running around with a shoulder hanging off him and he’s like, even just technically how cool, calm and collected he was.
Ireland wing James Lowe gets stuck into the Wallabies. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
‘I know it’s a different ball that they have to worry about and it’s still moving in the air, and I’m not taking away any anything away from that, but I mean, they’ve been doing it since they were five, six, seven years old, how many collisions in the air that they’ve got to get up for.‘He came in and helped us a fair bit, so we’re very grateful. He’s a great lad and we’re thankful for his time.‘I think we’ve gotten a little bit better, but there’s still a long way to go.’
Lowe now has 42 Ireland caps to his name and the New Zealand-born wing has pretty much seen it all at this stage.
Now 33, he is approaching the final bend of a stellar career. On the other wing tonight is Tommy O’Brien, his Leinster teammate who is only beginning his international journey after years of injury setbacks.
The 27-year-old, however, is settling well into this Ireland setup.
Tommy O’Brien has impressed for Ireland this November. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
‘He’s been awesome,’ said Lowe ‘I’ve been in Ireland for coming up to 10 years. I’ve never seen him play three games in a row, so to see him play three international 80 minutes in a row. It’s awesome to see.‘I’ve said it before, it took him a while to figure out his body. I think he’s the type of dude who every day of the week is at 100%. It’s just the sort of mindset that he’s always had, whether it be a walkthrough or a Saturday game; the intensity that he brought throughout the week was always the same. It probably held him back a little bit because on a Monday he’d be out there sprinting around and he was picking up little niggles and things like that.‘So I guess as he’s gotten older and he’s realised what his body needs, he’s tailored his week a little bit different and we’re seeing the benefits now.‘He’s a freakish athlete. He’s quick, he’s physical when it comes to the tackle and, like you said, he’s pretty good in the air. Runs like the wind… like he’s mad at the grass. It’s good to see him playing good footy and it’s great for the group.’
Mack Hansen bagged a hat-trick against the Wallabies. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Spare a thought for Hansen, whose sensational hat-trick against the Wallabies was soon forgotten. The following day, Troy Parrott bagged a memorable treble of his own on a delirious afternoon for the Republic of Ireland soccer team in Budapest. “Troy Parrott. I mean… seriously impressive and then to go away to Budapest,’ Lowe recalled. ‘I was on the couch. I’d just got home, put the kids down, flicked on the telly and then it was the rollercoaster of emotions. You go down, then you get the peno, then you go down again and then all of a sudden he puts another one in off a fantastic assist and then that last goal. ‘Jesus, I was getting emotional when he was speaking after the game. How good. I can’t wait for the qualifier. We’ll definitely be behind them.’ There’s the small matter of a game against the Springboks for now. Lowe, as ever, will be giving his all for his adopted country. ‘I’m forever grateful for what Ireland has given me and my family and the opportunity that rugby has given me, not just to come to Dublin and play for Leinster, but then to be given the opportunity to represent Ireland,’ he added. ‘I don’t think anyone questions where my loyalties lie and how passionate I am about this country and what this game has given me.‘It’s hard to put into words but if I keep talking, I might start getting too emotional about it.’
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