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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Michael Scully

'Fat Santa' role for James Lowe to top off rollercoaster year in blue and green

He has put in some big performances this year for Leinster and Ireland but his Christmas Day role as Santa could be James Lowe's toughest yet.

The Lowes, along with the rest of Leinster's foreign contingent - "the outcasts," the winger jokes - will descend on Charlie Ngatai's home on Christmas Day.

"I'm actually Santa this year, because I don't have any kids," laughed the 30-year-old. "It actually sucks!

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"So we're heading over to Charlie Ngatai's and they've all got kids, so they were like 'James, your job this year is Santa.'

"So that's what my Christmas is going to look like, as a fat Santa. I'm looking forward to it."

Lowe admits it sucks more that he is away from home for the festive period, a busy time for Leinster Rugby.

"I get to spend Christmas with my friends but unfortunately I haven't spent Christmas back with my parents for six years," he said.

"That's disappointing but it's what you sign up for when you sign overseas.

"Unfortunately I don't think I'll get to spend many Christmases at home in the near future, so it is what it is."

The Kiwi was home in Nelson, however, for a few weeks after Ireland's historic tour victory in New Zealand.

"It was awesome because no-one could give me s***," Lowe beamed.

"That was the best part, I could walk around anywhere as free as a bird!

"Obviously four and a bit weeks on tour, and then going home, back to Nelson to decompress with friends and family was very, very nice.

"I spent a good couple of weeks there and then came back over and got some sun. But the family were absolutely stoked. My old boy hasn't taken off his Irish jumper yet."

After the high came the low of missing the November series through injury.

Lowe revealed that he hurt his achilles on tour - then in his first on-pitch training session back with Leinster, he was doing some optional condition at the end when he felt pain in his calf.

"I looked back thinking, 'Who has kicked me here?' and then literally just fell over in a heap and was like holy s***, something has gone here," he remembered.

"So the moral of the story is don't do extra conditioning. I never have to do a bronco again, so there's always a silver lining!".

Watching on as Ireland beat South Africa, Fiji and Australia was "very, very tough", with Lowe adding: "Like, I'm not getting younger, you're almost at the peak of your powers and then tear a calf and you're out.

"But I watched that first Test match with Robbie (Henshaw), so that put it into perspective because he'd been in the whole time then unfortunately did his hammy the week leading in and then did it the week after.

"Sure look, it's part of the game, but I'm fresh and ready and looking forward to Friday."

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