{"id":23832,"date":"2021-11-08T09:29:10","date_gmt":"2021-11-08T14:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23832"},"modified":"2021-11-08T09:29:13","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T14:29:13","slug":"lowe-relishing-the-challenge-of-facing-the-all-blacks-on-saturday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23832","title":{"rendered":"Lowe Relishing The Challenge Of Facing The All Blacks On Saturday"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Lowe celebrated his international recall by scoring the opening try as the Irish launched their autumn campaign by thrashing Japan 60-5 on Saturday in Dublin (PA Wire\/PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ireland winger James Lowe is already relishing the prospect of locking horns with some of his best friends as he prepares to face his native New Zealand for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lowe celebrated his international recall by scoring the opening try as the Irish launched their autumn campaign by thrashing Japan 60-5 on Saturday in Dublin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 29-year-old Leinster man qualified for his adopted nation last autumn through residency rules, having honed his skills playing alongside a number of the current All Blacks side in his homeland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, with the world\u2019s top-ranked team due at the Aviva Stadium next weekend, he has swiftly turned his attention to a landmark occasion from a personal perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s obviously the country of my birth, where my family\u2019s from, where I grew up, and where I learnt a lot of my trade,\u201d said the former Maori All Blacks player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo have the opportunity now to potentially represent Ireland against them is something that is a challenge I knew was around the corner and a challenge that I can\u2019t wait to put my best foot forward for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome of my best friends are starters in that All Blacks team. I went to school with two or three of them, I played with a few of them when they were younger, and now they speak for themselves in the 15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe list goes on with the amount of people that helped me become a player through playing with them. And, mate, I can\u2019t wait for next weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lowe enjoyed close relationships with the likes of Anton Lienert-Brown, Damian McKenzie, Samisoni Taukei\u2019aho and Brodie Retallick, while he, David Havili and Ethan Blackadder each attended Nelson College school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The former Tasman and Chiefs back also previously played alongside Finlay Christie and Will Jordan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He is among a trio of New Zealand-born players in Ireland\u2019s current squad, in addition to Leinster team-mate Jamison Gibson-Park and Connacht center Bundee Aki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn terms of the measuring stick, New Zealand have been at the top of the pecking order for years,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe likes of New Zealand, South Africa, England, they\u2019re the ones you need to challenge yourselves against.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe performance (against Japan) was good but it\u2019s all about next weekend now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lowe returned to Andy Farrell\u2019s starting XV against the Brave Blossoms after being dropped for March\u2019s Guinness Six Nations win over England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head coach Farrell said: \u201cJames had a little bit of a wake-up call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe went away and understood how he needed to prepare for international rugby, his preparation is through the roof in comparison to what it was before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s learned the hard way, there\u2019s a few things that he needs to get better from Saturday as well but his attitude is in the right place and I\u2019m sure that will happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not a tidy player but neither do we want our players to be tidy players, he finds a way into the game, he\u2019s in great nick, he\u2019s lost a bit of weight and is fit.\u201d<\/p>\n

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