Why is James Lowe leaving Leinster?
episode
The Counter Ruck: The Irish Times Rugby Podcast
28 min
2 speakers
7 chapters
transcribed 3 months ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hello and welcome to the Counter-UK Rugby Podcast brought to you by the Irish Times in partnership with Oak Energy. Well, considering there's no actual rugby involving Irish teams this weekend, it's busy news week. Of course, James Lowe confirming what had been widely reported that he will be leaving Leinster and Ireland this summer despite, by all accounts, wanting to stay. John O'Sullivan, Irish Times rugby reporter, has written a very interesting story. Well, he put some facts and figures on the situation that may or may not explain what happened. So he's going to come and talk to me now. But as I said, more generally, very busy Newsweek. Munster have confirmed that Jared Payne, former Ulster and Ireland centre and fullback, will be on their coaching staff after Roger Randall won't take up the contract that he agreed, for reasons we all know about.
And they've also hired Jimmy Duffy from Ulster as a forwards coach. And there's also an Ireland in the 20s squad to discuss prior to their World Cup. Here's John to chat all of that. John O'Sullivan, hello. Welcome back. I think it's actually been a while since you've come on. You've been a combination of working very hard elsewhere and I think taking some time off. Welcome back.
Thank you.
Why is James Lowe leaving Leinster despite wanting to stay?
You must have saved up all your pennies to get me back on this podcast. Well, if we can afford Gordon Darcy, I think you might not quite come in. You don't ask for as much money as he does. You're saying that I'm cheaper than Gordon Darcy is what you're actually saying to me here. I'd frame it the other way. You try and recover your position there quick.
Well, we've got you here. Well, speaking of money, part of the reason why I've asked you on is because you wrote a very interesting piece about James Lowe. Look, everyone is aware of the news by this stage. My initial reaction is just, it's just very sad, you know, how they couldn't. make it work for one more year for a guy who clearly has a lot to give but is aging well I say aging 33 he's not over the hill by any stretch of the imagination but yes it's a crying shame they couldn't get this to work because Andy Farrell still seems to have quite a lot of interest in him But you've written a piece, the headline, James Lowe is box office, Leinster and Ireland do not have a winger of his ilk. But you've managed to kind of guess into what he may or may not have been offered and paid.
And equally, you've kind of worked that in with how many games he'll actually play for Leinster. So can you talk us through that a little bit?
I suppose the headline says it all, if you want, from a rugby perspective. So I posed the question in the piece that I wrote about, well, who's deciding whether James Lowe should stay or what he should be paid? Is the commercial side of the house at Leinster or is it the rugby side of the house? If you look at it from a rugby perspective, first and foremost, there isn't another winger like him in Leinster in terms of quality or style in those terms. So you're not replacing him There's nobody there to replace them as such. You can change how you play, or you can change for a different type of player. And there's a bit of a gap between him and some of the younger players in the academy and fringe players.
That's not to kind of run down the qualities. Like Tommy O'Brien has been Leinster's player of the year, and nobody would question his qualities. But he's just a different style of player. And I don't think there has been a sizable decrease in the influence that Lowe brings to bear when he plays matches. So... At 33 years of age, I thought he still had a role to play for Leinster. And I think he still adds a point of difference in the way that he plays the game. And Leinster don't have a player like him in the squad. So I would have thought that an extra year would have been reasonable. And when I say an extra year to keep him going through the World Cup and come up with some sort of deal for that. The problem for Leinster was twofold.
One is obviously they've got to come up with the money.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:04–1:13
2
Why is James Lowe leaving Leinster despite wanting to stay?
1:13–7:42
3
What factors contributed to the breakdown of talks with James Lowe?
7:42–15:55
4
How does James Lowe's age affect his contract negotiations?
15:55–17:54
5
What are the financial implications of retaining James Lowe for Leinster?
17:54–19:05
6
Why did the IRFU decline to subsidize James Lowe's contract?
19:05–24:23
7
What does James Lowe's departure mean for Leinster's playing strategy?
24:23–28:38
Speakers
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