Lions wing Tommy Bowe says his two tries in Ireland’s win over England have hopefully brought a disappointing run of games to an end.
The 26-year-old crossed early in the first half and late in the second to guide his country to a crucial 20-16 victory at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon.
Bowe celebrated what proved to be the match-winning score in joyful fashion and he later admitted that he felt he hadn’t been at his best in the opening two rounds of the 2010 Six Nations.
“The first try was very special but I’ve had a frustrating few games,” said Bowe, who played in all three Tests for the Lions on their summer tour of South Africa.
“I’ve maybe not been getting involved as much as I had and to get over for that second one at such a crucial time, maybe I showed a bit more emotion that I normally would.”
Bowe’s first tour with the Lions saw him cement his position as one of the game’s most astute finishers but the former Ulster star says he is far more than just a deadly tryscorer.
Fans of the Ospreys will testify how much he loves to get his hands on the ball and Bowe himself admits he intends to get even more involved when Ireland host Wales in a fortnight’s time.
“I’ve had a disappointing couple of games. I’m doing a lot of chasing of the ball at the minute but it was great to get my hands on it a little bit and I’ll try to work on that for the next couple of weeks,” added Bowe.
“I’m enjoying my rugby. My strength is chasing a lot of kicks and I enjoy it. But you know there’s still an awful lot more I can give and more I can do with the ball in hand.
“I’m confident but I still know there’s a lot more in the tank.”
Bowe’s first try against England came just a few minutes into the match following a superb piece of individual skill from Jonathan Sexton.
The Leinster fly-half threaded a perfectly-weighted chip through the English defence with Bowe the grateful recipient with just four minutes played.
Sexton was chosen ahead of triple Lions tourist Ronan O’Gara for the third-round match despite having missed both the win over Italy and the defeat to France through injury and Bowe was full of praise for the impact his No10 had on a tight game.
“It was super vision from him (Sexton) to put me through. It bounced up nicely for me.
“Jamie (Heaslip) was running across and I was trying to tell him to kick it but I should have known better! Luckily it got to Jonny and he has those skills.
“It was a great start for him too. He played very well. I mean with the pressure on him, it’s a credit to a young fella stepping up.”
