Tommy Bowe | Presenting, His Playing Career & Irish Rugby | Energized Show

Summary

What is up and welcome to the latest Energized Show! On this episode we have former Irish Rugby International Tommy Bowe on the show to discuss his rugby career including his time with Ulster, Ospreys, Ireland & The Lions and how his life is after rugby. Check it out, enjoy…

Transcript (youtube_captions)

Kind: captions Language: en okay what's going on guys and welcome to a brand new episode of energized today we have a very special guest on the show we have alter an osprey a lion heartthrob Tommy bow Tommy hey Russ come from one heartthrob to another how you well geez that's the first time anyone's ever said a compliment box me out there and always little introduction I'm great Tommy whoa beard like this is a code by teen beard oh geez two years Tom Hanks from cast away all right how's it going good brilliant Tommy brilliant well like as best as it can be you know yeah yeah funny old times yeah we're a bit we'll go through base now I'm living in Belfast so I retired with Ulster a year and a half and go obviously was living in Belfast when I was playing for them and still here so oh good yeah but I'm well before this whole crazy time I was on the roads non-stop it was in probably Dublin Galway Limerick three four times a week so do a lot of doing a lot of mileage snow since retiring but being busy so it's all good yeah cuz you're a monitor monitor yeah yeah yeah from on and so nip down there to catch up with the folks out against a lot of my mail it's very few of them are still in mana them of their a cavern and then leave and Dublin and all over the show so yeah it's listen who knows whether I'll go back there again but ya know in Paris through the La Coste County in Ireland take a dose of the chrono or rosário me and yeah great at washing things washing their hands and washing diesel what's life like for you now Wow I'll see your time playing they're real people you're working away you're the main analyst there for the pro 14 I think was it weird for immediate no yes so I'm the presenter of the pro 14 with air sport which has been a been a really exciting challenge for me to be presenting to go straight into that from its retiring was a difficult job to make to go the Pondicherry side of things and an Al Andalus side of things it is the more natural progression because being a rugby player we know from all those meetings that we've done all those years of playing and training we can see and read plays but for me I wanted to challenge myself so I tried to get into the present and side of things I did a bit of presenting on a holiday show for our team BBC yeah actually pulled it which has been a shame because they're getting to go off on trips with Mairead and bogan and the lads off to Seattle Lanzarote Ibiza yeah that was the great gig yeah I missed that one yeah yeah I know I'm feeling particularly pasty and the one day that the Sun is shining here in Ireland and in Belfast I'm here inside doing this podcast we won't be here for long it would be all good we'll pay a little bit we'll pay for the town a bit yeah Tommy is a different style is it difficult being a presenter now knowing knowing the players haven't claimed but a lot of them and like actually big key beans like a critical point it is hard and and for me like I'm not trying to be critical I think one of the thing is as a player we're used to Monday morning meetings where the coaches would be absolutely you know they're come down hard on players so where the players are well used to people picking up on their mistakes and I'm being criticized for things because it happens every day in their train and regime well I think they have respect for players who've been there and done it before so they know that if I say something our Donna Koch Alan says something or Luke Fitzgerald or Peter stringer they know that we've been in that situation before and we're not just saying it just to try and get clicks you know so I think that's the big thing we're not trying to be too sensational the beauty of it from my side is I didn't want to be that person and really to be a pond at nowadays you have to be a little bit sensational you have to try and create headlines people want to create that with a drama so from my point of view that's why I wanted to go down to present a role I wanted to be the man asking the questions maybe knowing where the top questions were and the top answers were going to be and I get to throw it over to the likes of Donecker to go and throw someone under the bus so that's that's the side of things I enjoy the most but particularly I just loved the from the presenter so things I could have five guys in my ear or five men women talking away in my ear counting down left on the chat what we're going to next what the pictures are coming up on the screen and I'm trying to talk to the two or three who are in front to be silly your brain is you know it's it's a hundred miles an hour and whenever I played a match my body was wrecked after it my butt my butt and my brain was fine we're now doing this it's my brain is wrecked and my body is fine so it's it's a complete adjustment but I'm really enjoying it here oh and Tommy tells this Jihan favorite sort of power work with like a obviously you mentioned I appear there but it Jeff some who like is your favorite person to bounce off well I don't like Jerry Flannery there because he stresses me out he's way too intense and himself and stringer are the worst because normally whenever the game kicks off I like to get the self at a nice tie and some noodles and those lads are all about the chopped and salads and stuff so not keen on that so haven't happened Annika there always adds a bit of crack sometimes he's a bit of a disaster because he makes a bit tough that you ask him a question he starts off with completely the wrong thing because he hasn't been listening to a word you said and Gordon Darcy when you go to talk to him about a question you might ask him what do you think of the new Lancer Jersey and he starts a bit monster for five minutes so it is hard to try and keep control of them all but generally they're guys I would have played alongside the guys had no very the crack is good we try to be as serious as we can we try to give the analysis as well as we can but we also are trying to be a little bit more fluid a little bit more relaxed and have a bit of fun and create a bit entertainment yeah and Tommy obviously the Pro 14 is on hiatus right now what would you see the league finishing I mean like let's start doing a bit of a liver pill at the moment down there on the way around their side and things do you think it will continue will it be counseled you know what wage C go down I don't know it's it's pretty beat to be honest we are particularly for the club's the clubs are still having to pay these wages they're not getting the crowds in they're not being able to bring in any money at all so it's it's difficult for the club's it's like all business I suppose I know chatting to quite a few of the players they're taking these couple of weeks as almost their holiday periods they're trying to do a little bit a train at home but they're loving it because even if they don't train the coaches can't get to them to tell them off to Train and about three stone overweight but the plan is is that they're meant to be getting back into training open to get going again around the end of April time whether that looks like it's going to happen it's pretty unlikely yeah but the problem is that players contracts are finished off by around at the end of June so I I would love to think by the end of May we could have one month of June and try and have a playoff maybe the top four teams from each conference play against each other that would make then a qualifying less semi-final a final but really to try and see how it's gonna work it's gonna be a bit bit of a disaster particularly because you have the two teams from Italy and two teams from South Africa as well it's just gonna be difficult logistically yeah what would you take on that one we and in the South African teams at the pro 14g those that or do you think just you know how wise without almost a slight disaster II love my local break in fact in my final year I did the trip down to Port Elizabeth and the trouble is a disaster I mean it was 22 hours three flights to get there to just play one match and come back again so what and we're not I think we did actually go business class down there but nuns on the way back yeah but it is it is a bit of a struggle particularly the season is so long nowadays for players but to get down there okay it's nice to just it's a completely new environment I'd say after about five or six years so players will get a bit fed off of it at the minute it's all new people like to kind of get away it's almost like going on tour and players love touring but in years to come it might become a little bit too much but the Cheetahs have certainly added something to the competition the Kings definitely have not it's definitely worthwhile otherwise it's a bit of a mess yeah no I definitely definitely agree with you on that obviously it's good to get a player's perspective enough aren't poor there I will say the owners team seem to dominate every single year do you think that you know some of the maybe although the Welsh teams have done alright as well but do you think what needs to be done to sort of make League bit more competitive it's hard listen the Welsh is the Welsh have a great system they have so many young players you look at their national team how strong they are but the rate the problem with that is that they have four teams all within an hour of each other so for them to try and bring in different sponsors to bring in different players you know they're all on top of each other or they're you know Ireland is perfectly set up the four provinces have always been there were you know two hours away from each other so there's a good gap and a good different good catchment of different players I personally think that the Welsh need to go to two teams and just have a West Wales team and an east Wales T and I think that they would be incredibly strong and then have a development team maybe open North Wales so for a lot of their young players to go up to North Wales playing the development team that's still in the Pro 14 but a West ralien team which would be the Scarlets and the Ospreys combined and the Dragons and Cardiff be into East Wales I would be two very strong sites I think Scotland are getting more competitive I think Glasgow are good side of good teams good players and Richard Cochran's done a brilliant job with Edinburgh as well so from a Scottish point of view that's wrong really the problem is is that the Italians and the South Africans you know there's too many maybe gimme gay games there you know you go to zebra you generally expect that you're gonna get two wins and two you know two bonus white wins against them likewise the kings and and the cheetahs on benefit can cause an upset but it's it's those games that are really the diff the disappoint inside of the league yeah Tommy having spent time playing for the Ospreys I'm for all sir what's the biggest difference between Delta both sides Jill whenever I was at the Ospreys it was a tricky strong team you know we had squads with an unbeliever there were 13 players that were in the Welsh squad that won a Grand Slam and that's I lost yeah dinda like to Jerry Collins below tear tear Marty hala just Marshall was there like it was an incredibly talented team they called him the the Galacticos of the time they're the Real Madrid's well we were there yes I went over there just for an opportunity to try something different I couldn't get into the Irish team whenever I was about 24 I'd been dropped out of the squad by 80 O'Sullivan I know well no matter how well I was playing for Ulster I just couldn't get back into the team I decided I needed to try something different and the opportunity came my contract was up to go to the Ospreys and I knew going to the Ospreys I'd still be in the Pro 14 so I will be playing against an Irish province once and every maybe three or four weeks so the Irish coach you know you're still easily visible to him you know he didn't have to get on a flight to go watch you play in the English Premiership or over in France where he's just watching one player so that worked in my favor in terms of what's different I think that you know rugby is definitely the national sport over in Wales they grow up with it it's a real Club mentality over there here in Ireland's there's so many sports between Gaelic football hurling soccer all vying for that spot and you know I think if rugby could get to the stage where we could grab some of those Gaelic footballers and hurlers and get them into the system yeah I think we could become world leaders yeah did you ever play hurling or chaotic I played a lot of Gaelic called Paul growing up you know yeah I can notice that in your game played where you're like very dogged and you could tell the way a ball will bounce there's I think that's so cool yeah like if you look at the ball Carney as well the way he's amazing wonder how I bought you can tell he very being in the back garden catching a few few few very owns the big thing you notice from Gaelic football and certainly whenever I came back from playing Gaelic in the summer to rugby in the winter was that in Gaelic football it's all about attacking the ball so you're always running onto it so if you see a ball in the air you're holding back to attack and then catch it almost at full height we're in rugby it's very much you know you used to wait for it and cradle it and catch it into your chest so so I think that whenever you're running onto a pass when you're running onto a high ball or a cross real kick Gaelic football those are skills are really transferable and also it's the vision and you learn whenever you're solo in a ball you have players to your left right you know your head is always off so personally I like my big thing is for kids growing up it's so important to play so many different sports you see a lot of schools now they're getting very focused and very internalized on just one sport and it's all but getting bigger and weight you know my big thing is playing with your head up practicing your skills because eventually we'll all level out size-wise and if your skill level is that a good enough if your skills are good enough and you're big enough size-wise you can make it in a nice pour yeah sure look abroad O'Driscoll as well obviously one of your teammates I mean I've worked with numerous times and when you look at him he's not actually that big he's very well no but like his skills they're just that's just since retired you know used to you scared the balls hands 20-plus times a game and he Coupee get scrum-half out half he could be in the middle of a rock you never knew where he was gonna be um and he was only 5 foot 8 or 9 I think but he was just electric even chairs and Kobe and in the world copper yeah like rugby is becoming a game where people are level and outside size and shape wise but there's always gonna be those opportunities for smaller guys like ashamed Williams or chess and cold beer a Debbie place triggers 11 yes maestro as a sniper and Jason Robinson as well feels like very much like Shane Williams I mean there's just links the game leads that you know there's a lot of players who are becoming so Jim bond and getting so structured that you know coming up against somebody with fast feet is so difficult to come up there to try and tackle and lay a hand on so the game needs to evolve it needs to bring speed you look at the way Japan played in the World Cup you know it was instead of playing with strength and power it was all about speed and skill and and my I would love to see the game taking a real focus to try and bring that into the game and a worldwide scheme same here I've seen incredible Tom there's a lot of quick run through your career and six nine appearances rather than thirty fries and two lines tours a few tries there what we say is the highlight of your playing career yeah I have some great memories some you know to do the Grand Slam at oh nine is definitely going to be one that stands out particularly playing in the Millennium Stadium and beating the Welsh there was something I wanted to bring up as well but yeah continue continue and so that that was listen that's a great day the first time playing buy-ins unbelievable because that was you know my dream was always play for Ireland so to play for the Lions we all watched the 97 Lions video and must have watched it 10 times and to play for them so special but you know lads coming from Monaghan where it's very much Gaelic football territory I didn't play for Ireland's goons I barely played for Ulster schools I thought my dream of playing for Ireland was over so you know I kind of got picked out of obscurity really to get into the old stroke Adam II and I managed to kind of go through very fast from the 18 to 20 to play for oldster and get my first cap for Ireland and the old Lansdowne Road and that it was against your first it was against the USA in 2004 Troy no ya dimensional you know it's it's a dream you know the dream is to play for your country the dream is to sing the anthem and to do that for your first cap to be at home your parents family everybody there to watch it you know I'm very fortunate 69 caps but that first one was one that I still remember it I remember David Humphries who was a little stuck there with me at the time told me in the change room too just so good ollie and try and remember as much as you can because it'll pass like in a heartbeat and got it pretty much it did pass in a heartbeat I don't remember much but I remember score and that try in the corner on and but it was a dream come true he's a player actually also really struggled replaced a home for Disney [Music] maybe out of the four provinces maybe it may seem true a lot a lot more that more so than the others do you think that's something that they might look into investment in the future getting a new ever happy and maybe II Malian boy come back over well Madigan is coming over of course we had you know Patti Jackson who was there came with London Irish and but hopeful is not just a you know a great player he was a real leader as well he was somebody who was really inspiration I remember whenever I was nineteen twenty get into the ultra camp and train and alongside him and and he was a stickler for a skill like he used to you know if I threw a bad pass he'd be on on my case all at the time he just was pushing standards all the time and that that kind of for a young player when your idol has given you a hard time to try and get better you know it hit me hard at the start but it really pushed me so he was a player that definitely you know was a real Idol am i growing up and I yeah I think that'll stir have got a few young out half's there but you know when you see the abundance of talent that likes a monster have with the likes of Frawley Harry Byrne you know who are probably fourth and fifth choices and mr. I know Madigan is now coming back to alternate next season you have Billy Barnes there who had a good season but can I see him really playing week in week out for Ireland I don't know you have to really worry that how far behind is Rathburn behind Johnny sets and who was coming up next you know I I'd love to see those guy who's been given more of an opportunity but at the minute it doesn't look like we're gonna get a chance yeah you're almost like an odd way hoping someone almost gets injured today your your shot you know I mean yeah rootless to say it and to people's faces when they asked you you always wish them well but as a player you are always praying that they were gonna pick up not a bad injury just maybe I grade one tear so they're out for three weeks so you can get your chance to jump woman take take your take your chance or they might get a coffee is your biggest role for your Jersey when when you were in your prime your career was early age you know what the person who used to push me and it was the best thing that happened to my career was having Andrew tremble in Ulster myself and Trembley were roommates we were great buddies there was a year between us he ended up with Mandi Ireland caps and I had 69 so it's very aging with that but we were both so competitive with each other in training and the gym and pushed each other so hard so you know with us in Ulster and Ireland myself and Trembley were real competitive with each other alongside that you had the likes of Luke Fitzgerald who was a young guy comin through who you know he'd come through from school everybody's talking up so much and he was a real talented player - you had Keith Earl's and he came through a few years they adore so it's kind of the cycle guys you know myself and Trembley were coming through when Shane Horgan and Dennis Hickey you were kind of coming to that the end of their careers myself and Trembley were there for a while then you have youth with Jarrell come in Keith Earl's Jacob stop there so it's always that conveyor belt and you're either the young one fighting to get through or one of the old ones trying to beat them off yeah we all say Tommy as we're you know it's all about it's all about getting the finish in early and I don't think you cross not long endure the Judas also beyond the sister you know obviously your answer would be boy he was the best player you've ever played with in Rangers ah in the green jersey you'd have to probably say Oh Brian Driscoll Accorsi he was another man like I talked earlier by David um please push in standards Draco you say expect incredible standards of themselves the one thing I liked about Draco though was how he transformed from being and incredibly exciting 13 unbelievable outside break used to score a lot of try he's used to be such a threat you know he was able to keep that through his career but then he developed you know into been one of the best defenders and a 13 channel in the world which is so difficult to defend there and then he became that poacher and threat you know always stealing the ball so you know it's one thing goes to be at the top of to be at the top of the tree for a year or two and to try and you know score tribes and have a couple of good seasons but to do it for ten nearly 15 seasons what trick who did was just incredible you know he was a player that just constantly had to evolve and you know yourself in any sport or in any walk of business it's about involving you know you get you kind of get complacent if you you know you'll end up being caught out so trigger was lesson he was a talent of course he was and but Jordan Murphy was another player who who I just love playing alongside love train alongside Jordan you said that the skills of that guy had he could just he could do anything on a pitch so he was a guy who I used to really enjoy playing alongside and he's good craic as well Jordan also lose he did well can pick from England as well which was a quite a rare thing yeah exactly it's one of those things it's almost like a rare money new is actually play out toward the four provinces to get into the euro slot yeah yeah well that's it I mean listen it wasn't such a big thing back then but you know I kind of knew I had to be 20% better than you know the the players that were playing at home you know because if you if it was 50/50 decision between you and a player and an Irish province you would have to expect that they were gonna get picked ahead of you so I use that as my motivation that I wanted to be try and really push myself to be that much better that the decision was taken out of the coach's hands and sometimes work sometimes it didn't just leading on from Russell's question there who's the best captain you played under as well cuz I'm do you miss it mentioned Dave home freezing mentioned like I'll see ya Cano as well as I had its fortune again you know I had the likes of Allan Wynne Jones over in Wales Brian Jones I think most capped Welsh captain Sam Warburton with the Lions we had Paul O'Connell and Rory vast Johan Willer so yeah some unbelievable captains unbelievable leaders yes I thought Rory best Rory best is a fantastic captain you know you just see the way even is cleared the players talked about him how he was just so much respect and it's not just about you know he's a great guy on and off the pitch too but in terms of as a leader and somebody you know who used to really make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up Paul O'Connell was somebody who could give a speech like no other and he didn't do it all the time you always knew whenever you're playing against England are there was a big game maybe can see all black sir are a really special game but Paulie would come out with a bit of magic and there would be a speech known again maybe once maybe twice in the Six Nations that you know it might happen the night before the match and you just you were busting to get back again I'd rather pitch straightaway so every week that was just showing his competitiveness and you know you'd see some like Sean O'Brien and people people like to be able to shout and roar in the change rooms and there's certain people do that but when Paulie gave a speech that really got you up game it actually was a really calm really relaxed it was sitting in a room all in a hot pool and just talking about doing it for your family and how this will make your family proud hope make your country proud and what it meant to wear the Irish jersey and those those are special days yeah that's the thing people know and what it means the oil heiress and it's it's brilliant watch like wheel off on when the Irish will be it's amazing but sometimes you know sometimes you kind of you almost not you take a program but sometimes you're called up and so much of a bubble and thinking about you know you have to get your detail right I have to make sure I do this I have to make sure you do that when you actually forget that you're doing this for your family you're doing this the sacrifice that your dad put in to take you to Train and every week the sacrifice that your mom did you know have to cook you all those meals or take it to training or do an extra job and you know there's so many sacrifices along the way for coaches and everything else and sometimes you lose sight of that and it just takes now and again for a big game and to try and reminder those moments and those people yeah just on the sort of so that's all captain see there Tommy won't keep you much longer or any files no take no over from Joe Smith and he made Johnny sacks and Captain Aussie Johnny's not gonna be around forever I'm only a year to last even play with injuries who do you think is the next Island captain out for Johnny's ass I think one person we benefit out of this break is Johnny Sexton as a man who's needed to give his body a rest because he just gets battered every game and and almost just to shower his head I think that sometimes it just gets a little bit too much and certainly being an out half listen I played alongside Johnny he's he is he is a leader he is a captain within the team and he drives the standards he pushes himself harder than anyone and but when he has to in the heat of the moment make crucial decisions as well it can sometimes get a little bit too much and that was the beauty of someone like Rory vest you know he was very calm and collected at all at all stages yes there was no doubt in my mind that Johnny was going to be named captain by Andy Farrell and purely because I don't really know who else there was nobody else really assured of their place you could look at a pedo Manny but again wasn't a sure display CJ stander again similar maybe a Robby Henshaw but my Gary Gary enjoy we talking edgy change orient just cause the four-year cycle absolutely but I know James Ryan and he's he's a very quiet guy you know he's an excellent player he wasn't in his captain's on her twenties very successful on twenties team captain of a school team he's only 21 lads and 22 that's the same I may have rough mode as well massively and the captaincy of the national team is is a big deal and you don't realize that until you're in there in your face and the press conference every week and when things aren't going well when things are going well it's easy to be a captain you know you're able to all the press or giving you all the easy questions and you know everybody's in good form but when you start losing matches and particularly coming off that World Cup the media are out for Ireland at the minute going into the Six Nations and to send someone like James Ryan out there would be very difficult and very unfair on them so yeah Jenk was no doubts James is a future captain for Ireland but you know he's still finding his fate he's a fantastic player but you need experience and you need you know miles on the clock and and I think Johnny will probably do it for potentially in another year before James gets handed there in France actually yeah pretty much on that I think there's only three people the Ireland Jersey or the Ireland team you are a deathly earn either spots probably told for long James Rowan I'm Johnny's accent yeah look no Johnny Saxons been known for before where like when Lancer don't actually talk to the first half the whole income final against or fountain think I'm able to beat them possibly it was a cool act on you know Liverpool a seaman on levels you know me and so he sees easiest be like Steve Agee yeah he seems to be influential to know and and at the end of the day sometimes I like be able half of the captain because you know Ron Rivera has been known to say a few times that probably like right around and go up and kick back there I mean like yeah [ __ ] sake this is a brilliant insight a brilliant insight into you know you're playing a team sport lads a plane rugby but actually a goal kicker is an individual sport you know see er you're switching between you know being together as a team and we do this together we all put our body on the line for each other but then the out half make sure you kick that over to the bar so that we can start slow we can win and you know whenever a full team is reliant on one player to make sure that he gets his kicks it's it's nerve-racking it's hard and it was really interesting to hear on the guy talk but that whenever his confidence wasn't quite there that was almost a shot of confidence from his captain polo ecology to trust him that he would be able to kick it over and where if you're the captain happened to make that decision it's easy to to kind of go not we go to the corner yeah I mean just were erupting soap well let's make it the current Ireland squad and how'd you think and if I was getting on since he's taken over as a full the first team cut leg manager yes in chat to the players it seems to be a really good camp in there listen Joe bushmeat has had maybe his critics over the years and and some of Joe's Styles a play and bits and pieces might not a suited my game either but he was the best Irish coach of all time you know his record says it and you know to have never beaten the All Blacks in 110 years he's beaten him twice he's won a Grand Slam three six Nations you know it's incredible what the level that he's taken Ireland to so to be the coach to follow that it is very very difficult and [Music] he's culturally with the Lions and with Ireland I think he's a fantastic coach but this is his first time as a head coach - so that's gonna take time and I think the Irish people just need to realize that we need to give these players a bit of time you know it is it is a bit of a transition period the likes of Johnny Sexton Rob Carney pedo man these guys over the next year or two will start to filter out but I've no doubt this the strength of the young players coming through is really really exciting there is a lot of players coming through from that lens dirty monster t-bolts between laconic that can make a very very exciting team prior and going forward so you know give it a year to let the transition happen hopefully we'll be able to still be able to win big games but I think in two three years time Ireland's gonna be in a great place Groening tell me brilliant I'm Yuri appreciate you comin along and the timeless yeah it's the first time the world that all four provinces are actually like contributing to the Irish squad as well which is brilliant to see yourself and Tommy come on Barry do you have anything to say before we wrap it up everyone thanks a million for tuning in Tommy's obviously a legend and thanks for giving your time hopefully everyone stay safe during this covin 19 sitting and make sure to check out tommy's holiday videos as well - brilliant and make sure to LIKE subscribe and as always stay energized