Michael Lowry looking to paint a positive picture ahead of November Test

Michael Lowry’s man-of-the-match performance in Ulster’s 39-37 victory over the Emirates Lions at Ellis Park over the weekend offered a timely reminder to Ireland head coach Andy Farrell about his qualities as a player and as a fullback.

Lowry’s footwork, acceleration, lines of running, the subtleties of his kicking game and an ability to survive some bone-shuddering hits were all in evidence in a high-quality contribution. It wasn’t completely blemish free as evidenced in a missed tackle for one of the Lions tries, but it was an overwhelmingly positive outing.

There are few better than the 24-year-old at creating space for himself and team-mates. His performance carried an added resonance in the light of the upcoming November Test series, the first game of which against South Africa at the Aviva Stadium takes place on Saturday, November 6th.

Ireland’s first-choice fullback Hugo Keenan has yet to play this season because of injury and the window for him to regain match fitness is shrinking by the week. There are just two more rounds of United Rugby Championship (URC) matches before the league shuts down for the November Tests.

The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times

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Optimism no longer an alien prospect for Ulster as they prepare to face Munster at Thomond Park

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Lowry made his debut and to this point sole appearance for Ireland at fullback against Italy in last season’s Six Nations Championship, a game in which he scored a brace of tries. He came on for the injured James Hume in the 32-17 defeat to the Maori All Blacks and then started the 30-24 victory over the same opposition.

Leinster’s Jimmy O’Brien has been the province’s choice at fullback in Keenan’s absence and also wore the green 15 in that first Maori All Blacks game. Munster’s Shane Daly impressed on the Emerging Ireland tour to South Africa and in the continued absence of the injured Mike Haley played at fullback in the win over the Bulls.

Injuries to Andrew Conway, James Lowe, Jacob Stockdale, Jordan Larmour, Will Addison, Keith Earls and Simon Zebo further reduce the options available to Farrell. Ireland A play an All Blacks Development XV at the RDS on Friday, November 5th, so there is plenty to play for over the next couple of rounds in the URC if you are a fullback in the provinces.

O’Brien draws a crowd

The confirmation that the former Leinster, Ireland and Lions flanker Seán O’Brien was in the Naas matchday squad for the All-Ireland League Division 1B clash with Old Belvedere swelled the numbers at Ollie Campbell Park.

The Tullow native, who ended his professional career as a player with London Irish last season, to return and take up a role with Leinster as a coach, came off the bench on 49 minutes with his side trailing 13-12 to Old Belvedere.

He had quite the impact, according to reports, in a cameo that would last 25 minutes before O’Brien picked up an injury. He had a subtle assist in finessing a gap/blocking, depending on what team you supported that culminated in a try for Andrew Osborne.

O’Brien then won a penalty turnover at a ruck and another when the victim of a high tackle, from which Bryan Croke tagged on three points. Naas were leading 22-13 when O’Brien left the pitch with what was suggested to be a hamstring injury.

Old Belvedere mounted a stirring comeback and managed to nick a win when Joe White scored his second try of the match in injury time to give the home side a 25-22 victory.

Number: 7

The number of tries that Ireland Sevens star Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe scored for Railway Union in their 88-0 victory over Cooke in the All-Ireland League Women’s Division. It’s a slight upgrade on the five tries scored recently by her international colleague Beibhinn Parsons on her Blackrock College debut against Galwegians the previous weekend.

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“Kitsie (Steven Kitshoff) is out of contract after the World Cup, and he has earned the credit to go where he wants to and where is right for him and his family. If that’s the case, that he is going to Ulster, then he goes with our blessing. He has respected his contract here and has put in so much on and off the field.”

Stormers coach John Dobson on the Springbok prop’s reputed move to Ulster.

The player Schalk Burger feared most

You wouldn’t think that there are too many rugby players that would scare Schalk Burger, who did his fair share of intimidating opposition players with his abrasive, physical style whether at club level of during an 86-cap career with South Africa, but the 39-year-old singled out one: Henry Tuilagi.

Burger told a story from a 2007 World Cup match against Samoa in Parc des Princes. The Springboks had been warned about Henry Tuilagi. As they lined up in the tunnel Victor Matfield turned to Burger and said, ‘Hah he’s not that big’. But that wasn’t Henry it was his ‘little’ brother, wing Alex.

Burger recalled a lineout early on when Henry took the ball at full tilt. “I actually put a decent shot on him from the side but he ended up carrying me. I could just see Danie Rossouw, a huge man at 124kg, and I was on the back of Henry going over Danie and another couple of players. It was amazing, a frightening sight.”