7 days ago
‘We can't let Cian Healy leave Leinster without another medal' urges James Lowe after Champions Cup heartbreak
JAMES LOWE admitted it was fun a fortnight ago to sit down with people who he hates and who hate him.
But nothing could make the Ireland star hate-watch last Saturday's Champions Cup final.
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James Lowe is determined to win the URC
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Cian Healy emotional during speech at Leinster awards ceremony
The past few weeks have been a rollercoaster for Leinster wing Lowe, 33, who has had some highs and, erm, lows.
It is less than four weeks since the disappointment of Leinster's
But that was quickly
That meant a get-together in London a fortnight ago and having a quick beer with some England, Scotland and Wales opponents who he is conditioned to hate.
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He said: 'It was awesome. Even just to mix and mingle on a social level with players that . . . on the weekend you hate.
'Like, you genuinely have a serious hate for these people and then to meet them in a context of we are on the same journey together, about to tour Australia.
'And you need to break down these barriers because we're all in the same boat, going in the same direction and we want to succeed.
'So it was cool in that sense and, like I said, some people who, when they are on a rugby pitch, you hate. And then I'm sitting down having a beer with them and, 'Jeez, you're kind of like me'.
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'And then I remember they hate me as well. But I think we're kind of normal. It was cool. It was nice.'
But there was nothing nice about the weekend just gone as Lowe could not watch as conquerors Northampton lost to Bordeaux in the Champions Cup final.
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For him, the pain of not being there was still too raw.
He said: 'I was at the zoo for the morning — I didn't know how big the zoo was. We took one pram. We've got two kids. I'm either carrying Nico or he is face-planting the whole time.
'So that's what I did for the morning and then the afternoon, I'm literally entertaining him. I've got enough pain in my life with kids, I don't think I need to force anymore!
'I knew it was on, I was paying attention on my phone, just watching on the app.
'Fair play to Bordeaux, congratulations, and commiserations to Saints, they have both been exceptional this year. It's not that I don't respect the two teams.
'It sucked this year that we weren't there but that's how it happened. It just sucks because I wanted to be there. A lot of boys are the same.'
URC DESPERATION
But Lowe is determined to park that European disappointment and ensure Leinster do end the year with silverware in the URC.
He is quick to point out that Leinster have won the Irish Shield four years in a row but knows that a major title will also be good for the province.
And as they get ready for Saturday's Aviva Stadium quarter-final with Scarlets, he insisted ensuring the retiring Cian Healy and departing Ross Byrne leave with a medal is a motivation.
He added: 'When I look around the changing room and the people who aren't going to be here next year, the two you obviously think of are Ross Byrne and Cian Healy . . . some of the best days of your life are when you win silverware together.
'For Ireland, we have been able to do that in recent years but we haven't been able to transfer that with Leinster.
'It doesn't mean that because you have won with Ireland you are going to win with Leinster.
'You still have to come back here and perform on the biggest of days and under the most amount of pressure. That's what we want to do.
'We can't let Cian Healy leave Leinster without another silver medal around his neck again.
'It's not doing him justice, it's not doing Ross Byrne justice.
'That's hopefully the plan the next three weeks.'
