Tommy Bowe fits like a glove for Lions

It is an entirely hard-headed decision by Lions coach Warren Gatland that deliberately heaps pressure on Bowe to produce more rugby of the elevated quality he played on the wing and then as an emergency centre with the Lions in South Africa four years ago.

If it is tough on Cuthbert, it is equally reasonable to suppose Bowe was earmarked as a Test wing against the Wallabies as soon as he was making a six-game end-of-season return for Ulster after missing the Six Nations following a knee operation.

“I chatted away to Alex after selection was made,” said Bowe. “He has been playing really well and scored a fabulous try in the first Test. So the pressure is on me after being brought in for him. I realise just how big a selection call that is.

“It’s now up to me to go out and repay the faith Warren has put in me. I knew I was going to be available this week. But George North’s try and Alex’s try in Brisbane were fabulous individual scores so I knew I would have my work cut out.”

Just three weeks ago Bowe, 29, suffered a spiral metacarpal fracture whose recovery time is usually put at six to eight weeks. Instead, he had an operation the next day performed by a surgeon in Brisbane, Peter Rowan. The Lions management kept Bowe on tour, and now here he is.

“I was pretty much told it was curtains when I hurt my hand,” said Bowe, who will guard the injury by wearing a hurling glove. “But Dr Rowan said he had had rugby league players coming back within three weeks, so that was my shining light that there might be a chance to stay on.

“I can say that I experienced the full range of emotions. All my family are here and I’d told them to say, ‘Game over’. Then all of a sudden I knew I had a chance. I wasn’t sure I’d be back for the Tests so to be picked now is an even higher emotion.

“From the very start I have always thought we could make this a successful tour and that was one of the greatest disappointments – that I might be forced to miss out, especially after how close the Lions went in South Africa.”

Article source: http://www.express.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/411226/We-ll-hit-back-O-Driscoll

Tommy Bowe fits like a glove for Lions