Ulster Rugby v Ospreys

Versatile Ulster back Michael Lowry enjoyed a spectacular debut season at Kingspan Stadium last term, but as the 2019/20 campaign draws ever closer, the incumbent Abbey Insurance Academy Player of the Year is convinced both he and the team can improve on last season’s achievements. MICHAEL LOWRY “WE’RE INABETTERPLACE THISYEARTHANLASTYEAR”

you’re seeing in back-field, and vice-versa. If you’re at ten, you know what 15 struggles with,” he says. “Both positions involve a lot of kicking and catching, and a lot of times ten will be in the back-field as well, so I’m going for a bit of both. In the Glasgow game I played at 15 in the first half and ten in the second, and for me it’s good to have both as it gives me more opportunities to get on the pitch.” The youngster goes on to elaborate with his thoughts on the double-header of pre- season warm-up games against Glasgow Warriors, which ended in a comprehensive 50-19 victory in Belfast, before a narrow 36- 33 defeat at Scotstoun a week later. While the games were, in essence, friendlies designed to allow both sides to give their extended squads valuable game-time, Lowry insists the significance of both the performances and the results should not be underestimated. “We got through a lot of work in pre-season, and it showed in the Glasgow games that we’re fit enough now to go into the PRO14,” he says. “So we can take a lot out of those two games. Some of our attack play was excellent and I think we’re in a better place this year than last year going by our warm- up games. Putting 50 points in on the first

The 21-year-old clocked up 17 senior caps in 2018/19, including starting berths at full-back in both the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster and the Guinness PRO14 semi-final at Glasgow, and insists he has put his pre-season time to good use as he vies to ramp up his appearance count this term. He explains: “We have these sessions that we go through in pre-season where we’ve all got our own individual focus, so for me it has been some upper body work in the gym and more kicking and high ball work.” “Going from last year I didn’t really know what to work on, but now we know after the first season what is going to help me going forward. I’ve been lucky to get through pre- season with no injuries, just a bit of soreness – but I think we need that bit of soreness before we go into games.” “It was good to work on that for nine weeks or so in pre-season, and now I hope to put it into practice in games.” Lowry, equally at home at out-half as he is at full-back, feels that his versatility can only help advance his career at the Province. “Ten and 15 have similar skillsets, so when you’re playing 15 you can put into ten what

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