From A-levels to a starring role for Ulster within 18 months, Lowry is loving life
MIKE Lowry’s phone buzzed. Then it buzzed again. Then again and again. The Ulster team charter had just arrived back in Belfast from Paris and, with his mobile switched back on, it was becoming clear how much chatter there was on social media about the incident involving the 20-year old full-back and Simon Zebo.
As poor Freddie Burns found out to his cost of late, the combination of European rugby, Twitter and any mini-controversy keeps the pot boiling long after the final whistle. Lowry had unwittingly become the star of the sport’s latest viral video when former Munster full-back Zebo taunted him on the way to his side’s final score in a 44-12 win.
Zebo was quick to apologise, at least once prompted by referee Nigel Owens, and Lowry’s skipper Rory Best had already said as far as the team was concerned the matter was closed. Still, the court of social media was in session.
“When you see videos published online all the time about rugby players, you never think that one day that could be you,” said Lowry. “When I went out on Saturday night I was looking at newsfeeds and it was all of me and Zebo. I didn’t expect it to be fair, I expected a bit of tweeting and some statuses, but I didn’t think it’d be published on every single website.
“My followers went up massively so I was over the moon about that. In that respect it was quite good really.”
Unfazed at the time, and similarly non-plussed now, Lowry laughs that there would have been little point in throwing his diminutive frame into the face of Zebo. That was left instead to Stuart McCloskey.
“I wasn’t thinking about an apology at all, to be fair,” he said. “I was just thinking next play sort of thing but, looking back on it, it’s nice to see he came over and apologised.
“It wasn’t going to be me barrelling in anyway. Stu had my back, but then he realised there were four big guys around him so he left it, which was the right thing to do.”
Only a year and a half detached from his A-levels — he studied at RBAI, winning back-to-back-to-back Schools’ Cup titles under the guidance of now Ulster skills coach Dan Soper — Lowry made his senior debut against Munster only last month.
Whether it’s been dealing with the Zebo attention, Leicester’s targeting of him in the air, or even just the pressure of starting in an Ulster team at an age when traditionally he would have been deep down the Academy depth chart, it’s his composure that has shone through.
“It’s been an incredible experience. This time last year, I never thought I’d be playing in Europe against Racing and Leicester. Especially in that arena (in Paris) was incredible. I’ve been over the moon to get in the squad and to get playing and to get 80 minutes in both games,” he said.
“You’re definitely prepared, whether it’s through pre-season or training. Coaches will go through things if you don’t know anything and you can talk to the senior lads and get yourself prepared for it. Obviously it’s a bit of a shock to you if you see your name on the team sheet, but once it’s on the team sheet you just have to focus on getting your job done.
“I try to be quite relaxed before games but also through the week I’ll be thinking about everything.
“Before the Leicester game, I was thinking they’re going to definitely target me in the air and they did. The first high ball went up, the way the ball went I didn’t get onto it, but the rest of them I had the confidence THE return to fitness of Henry Speight
comes just in time for Ulster who are soon to be without eight of the front-liners thanks to the autumn internationals. Dragons have endured a rotten run of away form and it would be a surprise to see Ulster do anything other than win here. Indeed, securing their first try bonus at Kingspan Stadium this season should really be the expectation.