James Lowe came up with a World Cup moment to rival the Stephen Ferris rag-doll on Will Genia, a dozen years ago, as Ireland beat the Springboks in Paris.
The Leinster winger put in an immense shift as he won three turnovers for his side and showed up with a number of other big moments.
With 46 minutes on the clock, Lowe somehow managed to lift the 6-foot-8, 19-stone Eben Etzebeth off the Stade de France pitch and, with the help of teammates, win his side a huge turnover.
https://twitter.com/RTErugby/status/1705676377662374074
James Lowe pumped his arms in the air as the penalty was awarded to his side, and he was mobbed by teammates. Ireland still had lots of defending, tackling an d harrying to do but it signified that this team was ready to front up to the Boks.
Following Ireland's 13-8 victory, Lowe delivered a great interview that really captured the essence of this team's fight and spirit.
[caption id="attachment_293163" align="aligncenter" width="641"]James Lowe celebrates after winning a penalty during the 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool B match between South Africa and Ireland. (Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile)[/caption]
James Lowe on Ireland win
"Sorry, I lost my voice," James Lowe began his post-match interview, "I was screaming a bit out there."
Lowe acknowledged that Ireland gave South Africa several opportunities to score but he insisted the overriding sense was one of pride after they got the job done. He even cracked out a Leonardo DiCaprio line from The Wolf of Wall Street.
"We're looking forward to a few days off, then crack into Scotland. The show goes on."
"I'm going to be sore tomorrow - I'm not going to lie! But they are a big, physical team and they pride themselves on being combative. There were some serious performances from our pack, to front up. We don't really have the same size bench as them but [the forwards] managed to get us over the line in the end."
The only question Claire McNamara did not ask, in an enjoyable interview, was the one we could not wait to hear - his tackle on Eben Etzebeth.
The RTÉ reporter did ask what it was that got Ireland over the line against the current world champions. "Yeah," James Lowe pondered. "I reckon we've earned a bit of belief, at this stage.
"We've been through a bit - we've gone away to New Zealand and played well. We've played well at home, especially in the Six Nations. That's just belief, you know, that's where we got it from... we performed, not to the standard we wanted but it's round-robin, not knock-out. We got the win and we're happy with it."
On the Irish support, Lowe described it as "crazy" and praised the travelling support for giving the squad "amazing" memories.
The feeling is mutual.
James Lowe celebrates after winning a penalty during the 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool B match between South Africa and Ireland. (Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile)[/caption]
