That knee injury sustained last week by Ulster’s Tommy Bowe looked serious when it happened. Now we know for sure that it is.
Ireland will have to negotiate this year’s Six Nations without the services of Tommy Bowe and his province will be nervously watching the calendar to see if he makes it back in time for the very late stages of the Heineken Cup, if they make it that far of course.
The Ulster winger collapsed in a heap last weekend in the late stages of Ulster’s narrow 10-9 defeat to Northampton and it was immediately thought the 28-year-old had done some serious damage.
After undergoing an op yesterday, Ulster Rugby confirmed today that the lateral ligament damage in Bowe’s right knee would keep him on the sideline for four months. That takes him right up to mid-April, knocking out the entire Six Nations campaign.
With the Heineken semis set for the last weekend of April, Bowe may be back for those, if Ulster progress that far.
The layoff should see Craig Gilroy get more of a run, for province and country, which some may be happy to hear, but a player of Bowe’s ability and experience is a loss to Declan Kidney and Mark Anscombe.
Get well soon Tommy.
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