Leinster and Ireland striker James Lowe has described the wait for his call-up to the British and Irish Lions as “absolutely terrifying”.
Lowe is one of 15 Ireland players selected by head coach Andy Farrell for the tour of Australia, which will be his debut.
Although many pundits and fans had speculated that he would be included in the squad even before the summer tests began, Lowe admitted the wait was tense as he watched the squad announcement on TV.
Looking back on the moment, Lowe said it was a significant event for him and his family.
“A lot happens before the lineup is announced, but this is just awful.
“When the squad announcements start, you start thinking about the other people you're going to be competing with. I heard Elliot Daly's name and I thought, 'Oh no, that's a left winger.'
“When I hear the names of the guys who are here, I am also happy. I experienced a storm of emotions, sitting next to my wife.
“Everyone tells you that your name is going to be called, but until you hear it, until it appears on the screen, you can’t really believe it, it seems kind of surreal.
“When Hugo Keenan was announced, I thought L was going after K, and then Blair Kinghorn came along and I thought I was next. I figured there was still a chance I'd follow him.
“It was a huge sigh of relief and an amazing feeling.”
The squad was announced just days after Leinster's shock European Cup semi-final defeat to Northampton, with the English side losing to Bordeaux on Saturday.
Attention now turns to the URC quarter-final against the Scarlets on Saturday as Leinster look to win their first trophy since 2021.
Following the defeat to Northampton, much attention was paid to Leinster's game strategy, as the team turned down penalty chances and preferred to play one-timers or decide to play clean sheets.
Lowe says while he supports Leinster's decisions in key games, he is in favour of a three-point strategy in knockout rugby.
“I will never doubt those who have that responsibility but this is knockout rugby and if we can build up the pressure on the scoreboard then I am fully behind that.
“If you look at the spreadsheet that came out of the circulation, my God, they're already overpaid and overworked.”
“Three, six, nine – do it with a little bit of pressure on the scoreboard, keep teams at bay, play it to two points, especially if you get an early penalty, I don't see why you can't go three, reset the score and get a good way out of it.”
“I'll pass this on to those above me, a traffic light system would be a good idea.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
