‘Keep the same gag going’ – Lowe hits back at stadium announcer

After Australia’s head coach Joe Schmidt highlighted some of the Lions squad’s ancestry, the issue has become a hot topic in the tour’s development.

In front of a record-setting Force crowd of more than 46, 000, the announcer declared, “Our former Aussie at No 14, Mack Hansen,” on Saturday.

Sione Tuipulotu, another Aussie, sits at No 12. At No 11, Pierre Schoeman, a former SA schoolboy and now Scotsman, and James Lowe, a Kiwi who is now Irishman, are both at No 11.

Lowe, who started for the Maori All Blacks against the Lions in 2017, didn’t really like it.

The 32-year-old told BBC Sport, “Hopefully a few more Kiwis or Saffas play next week and we can keep on getting the same joke going.”

When Schmidt described Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu as the “southern hemisphere centre partnership,” Schmidt apologized and said he was “sloppy” and “did no harm.”

Lions performance manager David Nucifora then accused him of mind games and pot-stirring.

Tuipulotu, the captain of Scotland and a native of Australia, disregarded the insults, saying, “I knew there would be some ‘good humour’ coming back home to Australia. We must take these things seriously, he said.

After winning the URC final, Leinster wing Lowe had to wait a week before getting his first taste of Lions action.

While Lowe feels like he seized every opportunity, which Irish coaches have given him, and he has been given 40 chances by his country, to complete the match with two assists and three clean breaks.

Lowe continues, “I knew I would have a chance to put on a performance, and I was very happy with how I turned out.” When your name appears on the TV, I can still recall sitting at home with my wife. It’s a great privilege to be standing in front of the camera in Australia and given the opportunity.

The amazing thing about this tour is that these games make you more desperate for a test seat. You must put your best foot forward because I’m competing with some elite wingers in their own right.

It’s obvious that we can improve and that we will improve over time, but I’ll already be very proud of it for the rest of my days. ‘

Lowe is just one of 12 Australian Lions players in a single Lions series, which is the most of any other team.

He continues, “We’re in a fortunate situation where we know so many of our own boys.”