Johnny Watterson talks to winger Tyrone Howe who has used his injuries to sharpen his competitive edge

"T-Bone" is his nickname. T-Bone Howe. What does it convey? A lack of complication? A robust, unflinching figure? A simplicity? The former Oxford University captain, who at 32 steps onto the Twickenham turf on Saturday as one of the elder statesmen of the Irish team, isn't simple.

His position of being junior in age only to Reggie Corrigan in the starting Ireland team, and with so many good wingers around, suggests Howe is savvy and occasionally under-rated. Nonetheless, his presence on the left wing on Saturday reflects a tale of bad luck, good luck and endeavour in equal amounts.

He won his first cap against the USA on the summer tour of 2000, his 12th two weeks ago in Lansdowne Road against Wales. His luck was the Achilles tendon Denis Hickie ruptured at the World Cup has kept him hobbling and possible replacement Geordan Murphy was also forced onto crutches. There's hard grind in that Howe himself has had to recover from a protracted injury at the prime of his career, come back and ultimately beat Anthony Horgan to the wing position.

Howe is a believer in the old adage there are no hard-luck stories. He's also a survivor and against the odds, has made it happen for himself.

"I think my approach to the game has been very much dominated by the early parts of my career," he says. "I've come through the ranks where you are very ambitious and where you look ahead to that very important breakthrough. I experienced a huge blow when I picked up a chronic injury. There was a stage where I was told, and I believed, I would never play rugby again. It was a chronic pelvic injury, repetitive stress. I got it in 1995 and took three and a half years to properly recover. When I started playing again in December 1998, I was 28."

The chronic injury, exacerbated by playing through pain to captain Oxford in the annual colours match against Cambridge, gave Howe time to realise a London job in the City wasn't for him. But his time living with two teachers led to him subbing for a term at the expensive English public school, Marlborough College. One term teaching German and French led to two years. The yearning returned so he thought he'd try the pelvis again and asked third division Newbury if he could train with them.

"I thought I'd know after a couple of weeks if I could last the pace. Then at around Easter time Harry Williams, the Ulster coach at the time rang me and said he was coming across. Humphs (David Humphreys) had been to Oxford in 1995 and I'd kept in touch.

"I've always enjoyed playing and I don't think my approach has changed. I missed a fair chunk and really I was lucky to get an opportunity. It was quite a leap for me from full time in Marlborough and a leap of faith from Harry Williams to offer me a contract. I wasn't sure if I could last the intensity of training, never mind a full season.

"But the injury problems and the length of time out of the game have really help shape the approach I've had over the last few years. That has been to try to be as competitive as I can, to work as hard as I can, to be committed in all that I do. I came back at a mature age and I think it has given me a little more perspective than if everything had happened for me early on."

Five tries in 12 games, the last against France in the Six Nations game this year, is a reasonable strike rate. Even in that Howe is evasive. There is still a touch of schoolteacher modesty in his well-hidden ego.

"I think there's a certain amount of individual contribution but you are on the end of a good move or your forwards have put you in a good position. On the wing you are more dependent on those around you than in other positions."

With centres Gordon D'Arcy and Brian O'Driscoll consuming as much Irish possession as they can, Howe's trip this weekend, though, may be lonesome.

"No, they are blessed with so much ability," he says. "For a winger they are fantastic in that they are so strong in the tackle. They actually have the ability to off-load not only before the tackle, but also in or after the tackle. That gives you an awful lot of opportunity to run decent lines off them."

Sure, what's in a nickname anyway?