Lowry reveals the reason for abandoning trademark white scrum cap
Ulster full-back Michael Lowry has revealed why he has dispensed with his trademark white scrum cap in recent months. The distinctive headgear helped the 23-year-old stand out from the crowd during his emergence at the Irish province. However, it has been absent this year when helping his club to some huge Heineken Champions Cup wins and making his try-scoring Guinness Six Nations debut for Ireland.
Lowry has now explained what has happened to the cap that was a constant part of his uniform with Ulster. “Originally I put it on because my ear kept getting caught in tackles and was tearing off,” he explained during a guest appearance on this week’s Rugby Pod with Andy Goode and Jim Hamilton.
“It healed and I thought right, I’ll just keep the scrum hat on and then I put it in the washing machine, took it out and it had completely shrivelled, torn to pieces and that was about two days before the Northampton game (in January).
“I was like, I’m not going to get the chance to get a new one because it was from Australia, one of the NRL, one of the ones the rugby league lads wear. I was, I’m not going to get the chance to get another one so since then I just decided not to wear one,” he continued, adding with a grin: “They just thought I was a little hobbit before with a white scrum hat.”
Lowry was part of the Ulster team that ambushed European Cup holders Toulouse in France last Saturday, giving them a six-point advantage heading into the second leg of the round of 16 clash this Saturday in Belfast. The victory was the latest confirmation that the team has much improved in recent times under Dan McFarland.
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“Over the last year we have really upped our game and added more levels to it and we really back ourselves now,” explained Lowry, who made an Ulster debut in September 2018 at the age of 20. “We have beaten a few teams away from home and that gave us a lot of confidence when we went over to Toulouse. It was all about us rather than focusing on them too much. We knew the threats of (Antoine) Dupont and (Romain) Ntamack but it wasn’t about them.
“It was really letting our game take off and it worked well for Rob Baloucoune, he has got gas to burn and I have so much confidence playing in behind him. Even in D, he is brilliant. I have so much trust for him.”
Ulster were triumphant in France in the Champions Cup following two URC defeats on tour in South Africa, a trip Lowry reckons benefited his team hugely despite the losses. “South Africa was really difficult, it was a step up in the heat and the altitude really got to us. We didn’t put our best foot forward in those games but we did look at it that it would be a good primer for us going into Toulouse away and it definitely was.
“Even the heat factor, if we hadn’t been to South Africa the week before we would have been going over and saying it is really, really hot but we didn’t have that in the back of our mind. We’d already prepped that, we have played in 27 degrees the week before so we were ready for it and they actually said it was meant to rain. Thankfully it didn’t and thankfully we got over the line.”
Ulster have since announced an early extension to the current Lowry contract, keeping him at the club until summer 2025. Coach McFarland said: “Mike has played a fundamental part in our squad, developing over the last number of years into a Test level 15. This progression has not been a surprise, it comes from his in-built determination and toughness, a standout desire to constantly develop and stardust that not many players possess.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Pick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
15 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
15 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
15 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
15 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
15 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
15 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
15 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to comments