ULSTER WINGER TOMMY BOWE may not return to action for his province until October, pending the findings of exploratory surgery on his wrist today.
The Monaghan man sustained damage to the wrist on his right arm in the same incident that saw him break a bone in his hand. The injury almost cost Bowe his spot on the British and Irish Lions Tour to Australia before he made a miraculous recovery to feature in the final two Tests.
An Ulster spokesperson confirmed that the surgery is taking place. Coach Mark Anscombe spoke of Bowe’s injury to the Belfast Telegraph on Tuesday but the province will not release an official statement on Bowe until they receive confirmed results from the surgery.
TheScore.ie understands that Bowe twisted his wrist badly at the same time that his hand was broken. As the serious sprain has not healed properly, surgery is required to ascertain if further measures are needed to get the winger fit.
Bowe’s injury-impinged 2012/13 season ended on 6 July when he played on the right wing for the Lions as they clinched the Test Series against Australia. He is contracted under the IRFU’s Long Term Player Development Model and would have been eased back into competitive action, late next month, by his province.
Depending on the outcome of the exploratory surgery, Bowe may not feature until October. The Heineken Cup starts on 11 October against Leicester Tigers so, ideally for Ulster, a Pro12 match or two would be ideal as they ease their star winger back into the new season.
