And yet, as Tommy Bowe fields the inevitable questions about the rising star that is Jacob Stockdale, the international veteran doesn’t shy away with his compliments.
“He’s continued on the form he’s shown with Ulster,” begins the 33-year old Monaghan native. “At the weekend, to come away with two tries is fantastic to see.
“He’s got such a spring in his step and he’s looking confident. He’s such a young guy with not a huge number of caps for Ireland, so to have that sort of confidence and be able to back himself to go on the outside and take people on shows the quality he has, it shows what a good place he’s in at the minute.
“He’s been the stand out performer of the autumn internationals in terms of the young guys coming in, and he has so much potential. I think he’s only showing the start of what he’s got.
“He’s played very well, he deserves his place and it’s up to us to push him for those other spots.”
Other wingers aside, it’s time to focus on Bowe himself, who is in the middle of something of a renaissance within the Ulster team having already made it into double figures in appearances after several troublesome years with injury.
Admittedly some of those appearances have had to come in the centre, a position he’ll once again inherit tonight away at the Dragons (kick-off 7:35pm), but the experienced Ulsterman won’t mind as long as he gets an extended run in the line-up.
Opportunities have been frequent. Initially in due to injury to Craig Gilroy, Bowe has shown signs of the winger that dominated for years in the green of his country, and he says he’s delighted to be playing.
“It’s great, I’m really enjoying my rugby,” he grins. “The body feels good, and just to have that consistency again of playing week on week. I’m enjoying training, I’m playing with a smile on my face.
And, now we’ve entered the lottery season that is contract renewal time, at 33 will he be going to the negotiating table for a new deal at his province?
“I hope so,” he says, knowing that it’s highly likely any deal done will be with Ulster as opposed to the IRFU this time around.
“If you had asked me last year I maybe would have been thinking, ‘Ah jeez, I don’t know if I can.’ But the way my body feels now, I feel great. I’d love to keep going.
“I’ve had my share of injuries the last few years, and that always makes you question, but the way things are at the minute if I can keep pushing hard, keep competing with the young fellas, I don’t want to give up just yet, no.”
So, with retirement firmly on the backburners for now, the focus is solely on the Dragons tonight as Ulster aim to make it three consecutive league wins - not that their recent performances would suggest that.
Two rather underwhelming outings against the Southern Kings and Benetton have yielded nine points but not a lot to be excited about - something the Ulster squad are just as aware of as the baying fans in the stands are.
With a massive period coming up after this game featuring four European games and three interpros all before the end of January, arguably just winning at Rodney Parade won’t be enough - a performance to give fans, players and coaches alike something to cheer about would be welcomed.
“So far this season we’re going okay in the league,” Bowe points out - which is true, Ulster currently sit third in Conference B of the Guinness PRO14 with seven wins from nine, even if public perception isn’t so positive.
“We’re happy with where we’re at, and we’ve played some tough games, but this block is going to really test us and show how good we are, show where we are.
“There’s a belief. We know within the squad we have the team, we have the players, we have the support, we have everything there and our gameplan is getting us into positions where we can put teams under huge stress but we’re not maybe putting that final pass away and making small mistakes.
“Certainly I have the belief we have the team that can win the two matches in Europe and we can go into the interpros and win those two. It’s a case of cutting out those small mistakes that are killing us.”
As for tonight, against a Dragons side who have seen improvement under new coach Bernard Jackman and with former Wales international Gavin Henson running things at fly half, it’s about making sure Rodney Parade doesn’t prove another away slip up.
“I think this is their first home game in a while, so they’ll be going flat out,” Bowe says of the Newport outfit. “They’ll be coming out fighting. It’s a big game.
“For us, we need to concentrate on ourselves. We’ve been shooting ourselves in the foot a bit, but if we can get our stuff right, play some good rugby and get our defence firing then I think we can give them a good game.”
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