In form Lowe keeps focus on Blues
AS RESPONSES to what must be a hugely frustrating issue go, James Lowe’s could hardly be accused of being anything other than diplomatic.
“Aw, it sucks,” the Leinster winger said. He was of course talking about the rather obscure ‘foreign’ player rule that everyone is well aware of at this stage.
Leinster are in such a good place that from the outside looking in, one of the biggest challenges they face is selecting the right combinations – in terms of a back-row or more importantly in Lowe’s case, choosing two of their three antipodean play- ers in a match-day squad. With Jamison-Gibson Park becoming Irish-qualified in the coming summer (Lowe must wait until 2020), the rule will be less of a hot topic next season.
But that won’t come as much consolation to a player who just wants to play the game he so clearly loves, especially the big occasions, which Lowe missed out on so often last season.
The problem he faces is Scott Fardy has been a colossus since joining Leinster, while Gibson-Park plays in a specialist position and is seen as an important option to have on the bench.
Lowe, however, has been in such devastating form that he is now impossible to leave out of the starting XV, and if he is, it must be considered a calculated risk.
The 26-year-old’s brace against Munster saw him take his try tally to 14 in 17 games as he continues to cause problems for every defence he plays against.
Backs coach Felipe Contepomi believes he has a bit to go yet before being the finished product.
“He’s good but he needs to work on other things, he is working hard trying to get better,” the Argentinian legend said.
Ensuring that Lowe is allowed to continue to do so could well prove crucial as Leinster begin the defence of their Champions Cup title with tomorrow night’s visit of Wasps.