Ireland suffer Tommy Bowe blow a month before Six Nations starts

Jamie Clark, Sports Editor | January 6, 2016

Ireland wing Tommy Bowe has admitted defeat in his battle to be fit for the 2016 Six Nations, after sustaining a serious knee ligament injury in their 2015 Rugby World Cup quarter-final loss to Argentina last autumn.

The 31-year-old is a key outlet for Joe Schmidt’s side, scoring 30 tries in 67 caps to date. Losing another experienced player for their squad will further hamper Ireland’s chances of winning a third successive Six Nations, and Coral now go 5/2 on them taking the title.

“Unfortunately it’s a slow process and to rule yourself out of the Six Nations is disappointing,” said Bowe. “I have to concentrate on getting myself back to where I was and there’s no point in rushing it.

Schmidt has so many injuries

Iain Henderson, who may have been a leading candidate to switch from flanker to lock to replace retired Ireland captain Paul O’Connell, is also set to miss the Six Nations alongside back row utility man Peter O’Mahony.

Veteran tighthead prop Mike Ross, meanwhile, is doubtful for the start of the campaign with a serious hamstring tear, and fly half Jonny Sexton has missed much of the Christmas and New Year period with a recurring quadriceps problem.