THERE ARE A few of this Irish squad who grew up supporting other nations when World Cups rolled around. James Lowe and Finlay Bealham are among them.
But these days, Ireland is home. New Zealand native Lowe, who qualified via the residency rule, has lived in Dublin since 2017. He and his wife, Arnica, now have a son, Nico, who was born in Ireland four months ago.
Australian native Bealham has been in Ireland since 2010. He and his wife, Sarah, are expecting their first child in February.
So both young families have put down roots in Ireland. Bealham says he’s here for good, while Lowe has similar feelings.
“I don’t see us leaving any time soon, that’s for sure and in terms of the rugby I was fortunate enough to land on my feet at Leinster,” says Lowe.
While Lowe has settled in Dublin and plays for Leinster, Bealham has made Galway his home after an initial short stint with Ulster when he first arrived.
“Immediately there was a strong sense of family, a strong sense of belonging for me,” says the tighthead prop.
“My wife has a very big family so to see what all the rugby achievements I’ve done means to them, that means a lot to me and I’m just really honoured to be here now and to represent everyone that’s believed in me along the way.”
Bealham’s granny, Sadie Ferris, was from Enniskillen, so he arrived in the country already qualified and played for Ireland U20s.
That connection through his grandmother is something Bealham cherishes.
“Having the Irish heritage through my mum’s side of the family, I really saw the passion of the people I wanted to represent,” he says.
“My nan, who I was extremely close with, I really wanted to represent her and the family, so to get to do that now is a massive honour, not just for myself but for my family and then some of my family who aren’t with us today.”
Lowe is still a proud Kiwi too. He came to Ireland understanding that if things went well with Leinster, he would play for Ireland three years after arriving. Having missed out on All Blacks selection, the green jersey was a big part of the attraction of moving to the other side of the world.
His grá for Ireland has grown with the years and even if he grew up hoping to wear the famous black jersey, he loves where life has taken him.
“If you’d had said to me 10 years ago at the start of my career that I would be an international rugby player playing for Ireland at my first World Cup, I would have told you you were crazy,” says Lowe. “So I’m absolutely stoked with how it’s gone.”
He and Bealham are important figures in the Irish set-up. The Connacht prop had an outstanding Six Nations earlier this year, stepping up with three impressive starts in Tadhg Furlong’s absence before Bealham himself was injured.
Bealham is humble about his contribution to the Grand Slam campaign, but Lowe is happy to sing his praises.
“Finlay is selling himself short here, he was magnificent in the Six Nations, but he doesn’t want to say it, so there you go,” says Lowe.
Lowe is Ireland’s first-choice left wing. His powerful ball-carrying, creative touches, intuitive lines of running, and huge kicking game have been complemented by an ever-improving defensive game.
He’s a key figure in Ireland’s hopes to win the World Cup, although Lowe knows he’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
“I think it’s a love/hate relationship with a lot of people as well,” says Lowe.
“You get outside Dublin and not many people enjoy me. I understand it, I wear my heart on my sleeve, I’m passionate about what I do and I take serious pride in everything that I do.
“So I can see how that riles some people up but I do it out of goodness. I feel I don’t try and wind people up on purpose.”
Bealham pipes up.
“I like you, James.”
Looking at the pair of them sitting beside each other in Tours just a few days before Ireland play their opening World Cup game, it’s impossible not to think about how rugby, and life, can take people in such unexpected directions.
Lowe says his earliest World Cup memories are of the All Blacks losing the 2007 World Cup quarter-final to France. He mentions Wayne Barnes, as most Kiwis do when that game comes up.
Bealham recalls watching Wallabies games with his dad in 2003 and 2007.
“To be playing in one a good few years later now, it’s surreal and it’s something that I’m really looking forward to,” says Bealham.
Back home, Lowe’s wife has her hands full while Bealham’s is getting ready for the next chapter in their lives.
The World Cup is a big deal but these lads know they’ve got the long straw.
“He’s teething and my first night at home, every hour on the hour he’d scream for two minutes and then he’d just go back to sleep,” says Lowe.
“So man, I love my wife and everything that she’s doing at the moment at home because it ain’t easy.”