TOMMY BOWE, a sturdy wide man with bags of pace, announced himself on the international stage in November 2004 when he scored on his Ireland senior debut against the USA.

A former Monaghan minor Gaelic footballer, Bowe became the first man from the Farney county to play for Ireland in 80 years when he lined out against the Americans.

While missing the entire 2005 Six Nations campaign, the Ulster flyer return to play in seven matches in-a-row for Ireland before losing his place. He returned for the summer tour to Argentina earlier this summer.

Bowe, who was injured for Ireland's defeat by New Zealand in the 2004 Under-21 World Cup final, has scored three tries in 10 Test matches, one on his debut and in the second Test against Japan last June and the final one against Italy in the 2006 Six Nations. A consistent scorer for Ulster in the Magners League and Heineken Cup, the 23-year-old has a bright future in the game.