The sense of deflation as the Irish players filed along the mixed zone area outside both dressingrooms in the bowels of Soldier Field on Saturday night in Chicago was palpable. They seemed stunned as much as disappointed by the way a seemingly winnable game was wrenched away from them.
It’s doubtful any player could have encapsulated this more than James Lowe, though like his head coach, the Irish left winger was of the view that Ireland needed to score more than three points in the third quarter when largely in the ascendancy.
“I think for 60 minutes the game was in the balance, wasn’t it? We struggled to wrangle back momentum. At the start of the second half, we were good, but when you don’t convert pressure into points it probably shows with the outcome. So, shit, it is what it is, man,” said Lowe.
“We put ourselves in a position for the game to go deep and unfortunately we just didn’t. It was discipline, wasn’t it? A few soft penalties when momentum’s against you, how do you stop it? How do you wrangle it back? Maybe a few lapses in concentration and that’s all you need to do. Against world-class teams, they punish you for that.”
RM Block
Slumped on a railing that partitioned the players from the media, it was of some small consolation for Lowe that he delivered a good performance, in both the cleverness of his kicking game – save for one that drifted dead – and in his carrying, after an unexceptional outing on his seasonal return for Leinster against Munster a fortnight previously.
“It was actually nice to play good rugby, personally, and make sure I’m not as shit as my last game,” he said, with more than a dollop of irony. “It was nice to get a decent performance, but obviously collectively we need to look at each other.”
In trying to identify specifically where Ireland’s display came up short, Lowe felt that the All Blacks successfully went after them at the breakdown.
“Our set piece was okay. We were getting decent ball, probably at the breakdown we had too many turnovers. If you want to get at our team and try and stop the tightness of our shapes and making sure we’ve got the right people in the right position, you go hard at our rucks. I think that’s what we’re going to be doing all week, is whacking each other at the ruck.”
Like many in the stadium, Lowe was unsure about the 20-minute red card issued to Tadhg Beirne, a period which Ireland won 10-7, although it left them without an inspirational, world-class player from the third minute.
“Obviously, Tadhg gets in an upright position. I don’t know if the momentum’s going into it. I’ve only seen snippets. Do you think it was a red card?”
In seeing a line of shaking heads, Lowe said: “Cool, [me] neither. I thought it was pretty loose, man. I don’t know from the one thing that I saw. And I mean, such an influential player, isn’t he? Jesus he spanked us last week in Croke Park and it would have been awesome to have him on our side, because he’s a menace around the rucks. It would have been good to have him on our side.
“But I don’t think anything will come from it. He’ll definitely be available next week. He’s down at the moment, as you would think. But I know something about Beirnie, he’ll turn back up. He’s a big-game player and hopefully we can have him next week.”
Lowe was the experienced member of a back three featuring Tommy O’Brien and Jamie Osborne but maintained he didn’t feel any additional responsibility.
“Those two young fellas have a lot of experience behind them. Tommy’s been in this environment in Leinster as long as I have. He knows what’s expected of him. No due disrespect, this was his proper first Test match, wasn’t it? It was a huge, momentous occasion. And I think he was good.
“Monday to Friday you’ve got to tell Tommy to chill. Because he’s got one gear, and you don’t want to get that shoulder on a Thursday, that’s for sure. He’s good. If he can keep the body right, I think he could have a decent career as an international rugby player.”
Asked how Andy Farrell had been like in the post-match dressingroom, Lowe said: “He’s okay. I mean, we’re there or thereabouts, aren’t we? It was so close, it was an opportunity that probably slipped us, unfortunately. And now we’re here, heads down, scratching our heads, thinking what’s next?
“But I can tell you what’s next, it’s three Test matches against three very, very good opponents. There’s another exam next week and hopefully we’re not all down like this.”
That he could somehow strike an upbeat tone is typical of Lowe.
“Have you ever seen me not being confident? It’s just part of my demeanour. It doesn’t matter what situation you put me in, I’ll try and find the best out of it.
“I have full confidence in this team going forward. It was one that unfortunately slipped our grasp. I’ll tell you right now, there’s three more games and three very good opponents. We’re going to put our best foot forward and hopefully rip into them.”
