Two out of three ain't bad for Bowe

TOMMY BOWE INTERVIEW: HAPPY DAYS in the Killiney hotel. Hot coffee with cups, saucers and linen. Tommy Bowe plodding across the foyer grinning sheepishly.

Two tries against Scotland has that effect on players like Bowe who are sometimes becalmed in a sea of modesty. He knows he scored them. He knows everybody knows he scored them. But he wants to carry on the rest of his morning and the rest of his week as if it were all part of a carefree day's work.

A lark in Croke Park. Tommy "Two-Try" Bowe has much to be pleased about and even if he can't read Eddie O'Sullivan's mind about the next game against Wales, even if his short career to date has taught him the first cold principal of international rugby - never expect the obvious - his two tries will make a difference.

Everyone of the bellicose critics, everyone with tuppence worth of rugby opinion knows the Monaghan man has made a strong claim on the jersey for the visit of Warren Gatland's side.

Beneath all of those earnest qualities that Bowe carries effortlessly. Beneath the willingness, the work-ethic, the selfless words, the instinct to deflect praise on to others, he knows it too and so does Shane Horgan. It will make a difference. Maybe that's why today Bowe is in knock-about form.

He is mischievously informed: "Strike you that Marcus Horan stole your hat-trick?"

The grin becomes a smile and the head momentarily goes down. "We're not really talking (to each other) at the moment." he says.

"Is he your room-mate?"

"No, and he won't be! I was almost patting him on the back as he went over and caught the ball. I don't think he had any intention of letting me go for it. I was happy enough to let Marcus go - the poor fellah, he would have been shouted at by the props on the sideline if he hadn't scored it."

Happy days at Croke Park. Wingers queuing up behind props and all of them clamouring to field high balls. It's quite an image to bring into the game against Wales.

But cameo moments often tell fibs.

Bowe's career has rocked and rolled. In 2004 he played against the USA. A debut try rang bells but little else. In 2005 he went on the tour to Japan, played Argentina, Italy and France and in 2006 scored against Italy and played against France. Bowe was there but quiet, much too quiet.

Last year he played against Argentina in the spring and again in a dull game against Scotland pre-World Cup. He wasn't bad but nor did he make a strong enough claim to stop O'Sullivan from cutting him loose for the fear and loathing in Bordeaux.

"It was a horrible time," says Bowe of his see-saw years. "After the French match I was able to reassess myself, I was coming back with Ulster and then the following season (2007) I thought I was playing quite well and I hurt my hamstring which put me out for a little while. I came back and felt I was in good form before the Six Nations last year, but I didn't really get the nod for that either.

"Before Argentina I was thinking if I put two good performances in here hopefully I should be going and I spoke to Eddie about it. But unfortunately I hurt myself in the first match and it didn't go the way I wanted it to do so. I didn't get the nod anyway and I was really disappointed. I didn't know whether to be annoyed or frustrated or what to do. What can you do? Mark (McCall) told me if I wanted to play to get back on the horse again."

Back in the saddle and the pressures are changing all the time. With O'Sullivan's team now incessantly under the microscope and more than a handful of people screaming for his head for a miscellany of outrages - most recently dropping Geordan Murphy and then indecently calling him back from Leicester - the players must feel it trickle down. Not really. For Bowe time has worn away the nervous edges.

"I'm comfortable with the people who are here now. I enjoy it," he says. "When ever I came here (first) I was very daunted by a lot of the players. I still look up to most of the players at this stage but at the same time the fact that I came in having played quite well for Ulster, they are going to have a respect for me as well.

"It makes it that little bit easier. I can voice my opinion. If I think something might work I've no problem with putting my hand up and voicing that. I'm at the stage where people listen to me. It makes it that bit easier for me as a player, that bit more enjoyable."

It's easy to say this phase is pivotal to Bowe's career. There are always players biting at heels and there are always openings. Denis Hickie leaving for Rob Kearney to step in was one. This is an opening too.

"One bad performance can mean that you're going to lose your place," he says with a determined shake of his head. "And lose your place for two years. That's not what I want to do."