Injured.

Ireland winger James Lowe has made an incredible revelation about his fitness during the Rugby World Cup last year.

The 31-year-old started all five of Ireland’s games in France last year, scoring two tries, but it turns out he was carrying a serious injury through the tournament.

Lowe tore all the muscles under his foot and was in pain throughout rugby’s showpiece event, but somehow battled on to be one of Ireland’s best players.

He was out of action for nearly three months afterward, returning just before the Six Nations for Leinster before going on to play all five of Ireland’s games as they retained the championship.

“I got a little bit of a nasty one. I tore the muscles under my foot and, during the World Cup, I was just hanging on,” Lowe has revealed.

“I was absolutely stoked to be able to train every single session, during the World Cup, and I played every single game that I could.

[The foot] just needed time, it needed a bit of TLC, a bit of sun. Look, I rehabbed the absolute bollocks out of that, to get myself back into a position to be able to play at the highest level. I got that opportunity and my body is in great shape at the moment.

“The boys around me have given me so much confidence to do what I like to be able to do on the rugby field – that’s hit people, when I need to, and run away from them when I can.”