Tommy Bowe expects Ulster’s fringe players to prove their worth

The rehabilitation process for injured sportspeople is a regimented grind, occasionally mind-numbing in monotony, and when conducted alone a test of mental and physical resilience. It’s small wonder that players prefer to have a sidekick or two for company in the medical room.

Tommy Bowe, still sporting a leg brace following his knee surgery six weeks ago, had Jared Payne and Stuart Olding as rehab buddies; that was before last weekend's Ulster game against Edinburgh, where Iain Henderson (hamstring) and Peter Nelson (foot) suffered season-ending injuries, Dan Tuohy (ankle) one that will sideline him for months and Darren Cave (shoulder) a problem that could keep him out until mid January.

A prized asset in enduring injury issues is a sense of humour and Bowe, speaking at a Kingspan media gig, certainly hasn't lost his. While offering an upbeat appraisal of his injury he did pause to lament that "Unfortunately, it's dwindling away to a leg that's a size of Gilly's (Craig Gilroy). I've one big leg and one small one.

“Hopefully in January, I’ll be able to take the brace off and be able to hopefully be told that the surgery has done what it’s meant to do. I can start rehabbing from there and get myself back into getting the leg back up the strength it needs to be to start playing again.

A blow

“I was struggling for company there for a little while but certainly last weekend was a very costly win for Ulster. The injury list has gone from pretty low to being pretty extensive.”

While the prognosis for Henderson is that he won't play again this season, Bowe hasn't quite given up on his team-mate but did concede that the secondrow's absence from the Six Nations Championship was a blow for Ireland, particularly in the wake of Paul O'Connell's retirement.

"It's a huge setback. Iain showed his world-class nature and the talent that he has at the World Cup. For his ball carrying ability, to have someone like Paul O'Connell stepping out of the Irish fold, the likes of Hendy would have been great to come into that set-up. He's going to be a big loss for both Ulster and Ireland."

Henderson is well known for positivity in adverse circumstances and Bowe confirmed this latest setback hasn’t altered that mindset.

“To be honest with you, I’m not even sure if he’s too injured at all! He’s wandering around and he’s actually out walking my dog at the moment.

“He’s got incredible healing power.  He ruptured some sort of ligaments in his finger (recently) and it looked like he could be out for a couple of months but he was back playing after three or four weeks.

“His finger was pretty mangled looking and how he was able to get himself back out onto the pitch was incredible. He is a very quick healer and he has a huge pain threshold.”

Toulouse arrive at the Kingspan stadium on Friday night facing a wounded Ulster.

There is no ambiguity concerning the outcome. Ulster, having already lost at home to Saracens in this season's Champions Cup, must win and do so again the following weekend in Toulouse.

Bowe said: “One thing Les has done since he’s come in, for the short period he’s been in charge, is given a few fringe guys opportunities. He hasn’t made wholesale changes, he’s brought one or two in and given them the opportunity to step up.

“If we can pull out a big performance this Friday we are going to be right back in it again. If we win back-to-back the next two weeks . . . do that and we are right back in the frame.”