Though this summer's Tour to Australia will be James Lowe's first in Lions red, he knows full well what to expect.
The Leinster star had actually played against The British & Irish Lions in 2017, lining up for the Maori All Blacks as they were felled 32-10 by Warren Gatland's tourists.
Eight years later, Lowe stands at the peak of his powers, his blend of pace, power and an unerring left boot marking him out as one of the most electrifying wingers in world rugby. As he prepares to make history as one of the select few to have played for and against the Lions, we examine how he came to cross the divide.
High and Lowe
Lowe was born in Nelson in New Zealand's South Island and it was soon apparent that he was destined to star in sport.
He excelled in athletics and even represented the New Zealand Under-15 basketball team before deciding to focus on his rugby, but not before a bout with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis left him bedridden as a teenager.
“I was very active as a kid, and the one thing I was really good at was sports. Sport was good for me. It kept me out of trouble, and that kept my parents happy,” revealed Lowe to mental wellbeing campaign Tackle Your Feelings.
“The arthritis happened so quickly that my dad reckoned I was joking.
“He thought I was over sport and tried to scare me out of that mindset by threatening me with moving schools and stuff!“
To be honest, I was kind of happy that I could stay at home and play the PlayStation all day, things like that.
But looking back now, I can remember nights sitting by the fire because the warmth would help me to move. I remember being carried to the toilet, showered, and bathed. It was a weird stage of life.
“When the diagnosis finally came, I went through a pretty tough patch. It was something that presented me with a real physical and mental challenge. It took almost two years before medication began to fix it.
“Coming through that, I realised how lucky I was to be able to play rugby. To be able to get through it, develop resilience and stay true to myself. Man, I’m pretty lucky to be here now.”
An Unexpected Journey
After his recovery, Lowe quickly set about making up for lost time, earning a place with Super Rugby outfit the Chiefs after a string of sensational performances for provincial side Tasman.
In 2017, the very same year he lined up against the Lions, the seeds for his conversion to red were sown as he travelled halfway across the globe to link up with Leinster.
The decision to leave home was not an easy one to make but it quickly paid dividends, yielding a host of honours with the Dublin side including four league titles and a Champions Cup crown.
Selection to Ireland's squad followed almost immediately upon the completion of the three-year residency period in November 2020 and Lowe hit the ground running, scoring on his debut against Wales.
He later broke the deadlock against the country of his birth in a home victory over New Zealand and later helped deliver an historic Test series win away to the All Blacks in 2022, along with back-to-back Six Nations successes, including a Grand Slam in 2023.
Earlier this year, Lowe became a fully-fledged Irish citizen, following in the footsteps of his national teammates and fellow Lions Jamison Gibson-Park and Bundee Aki.
Chest swelling with pride, Lowe told Irish Rugby TV: “We’ve had two beautiful children (Nico and Renn) here, and we see our future in Ireland.
“I remember when I first arrived here by myself, it was pitch black at 4.25 in the afternoon in November! It has gone by so, so quick.
“We’ve loved our time here, we’ve loved what rugby has given us. The opportunities that it has presented, and then to represent Ireland in rugby has been one of the best experiences of our lives.
“It’s something that we cherish every day and hopefully, moving forward, a couple more kids will be able to play for Ireland.
“Moving to the other side of the world is tough. You leave the safety net of family and friends, but landing here, playing rugby with Leinster, I already had 40 friends as it was.
“All the partners, past and present, have helped that transition. The staff made all of the little bits that you don’t think about moving to the other side of the world so much easier. I’ll forever be grateful of that.
“What the Irish people have done for us has just filled us with confidence and joy, feeling accepted, and we’re just able to go out there and be ourselves and play good rugby and try to be good people.
“We’ve absolutely loved it. We’ve loved Ireland and loved the Irish people and how accepting everyone’s been of us. We’ll forever be grateful.”
There and Back Again
Eight years on from lining up against the Lions, Lowe's journey has now come full circle.
Reflecting on that fateful day in the pouring rain at Rotorua, he told RTE: “I played full-back that evening and I’m pretty sure I had Rieko Ioane on one wing and Nehe Milner-Skudder on the other – so I was the dud at the back compared to those two!“
I think everyone would admit that was their first actual Test match, the first one they properly turned up for. They blew us off the park in terms of intensity, the basics of the game, the ferocity at the breakdown.
“We were beaten off the park that day, and we went into the game with a boatload of confidence. Conor Murray was putting up box kicks on me, Sexto [Johnny Sexton] was screaming, ‘go at his left foot!’ and all that sort of stuff.
It was an introduction into what it actually meant to the boys playing for the Lions and a level of intensity that was unmatched.”
Selection to a Tour is the pinnacle for any player representing the home unions but Lowe knows they face a tough task against the Wallabies.
He added: “I know Joe Schmidt at the helm and he coached Ireland for a long time.
“I hate hearing people writing teams off and Australia are definitely going up. They’ve got some freakish athletes coming through.
“The team that you scout Monday-Friday can be completely different than the team you play on a Saturday.
“If you’re off your game away from home with a crowd that’s baying for blood and a ref that can be influenced by a crowd, it's only natural that it’s going be tough.”
Lowe has never been one to shy from a challenge, however, and he will relish the chance to make his mark when he heads Down Under.
