Ulster and Ireland winger Tommy Bowe says he has not spoken to Joe Schmidt about the possibility of putting himself forward for the No 13 shirt at international level.

With Brian O'Driscoll having retired, there is a vacancy at outside centre for Ireland and Bowe has been linked with the role.

Tonight, he spoke to Off The Ball and admitted that he has not broached the topic with Ireland's head coach.

"I played a lot at 13 when I was at the Ospreys and played the third test with the Lions in '09. But since then I haven't had the opportunity to play there much, more so because of injury. When I've played, I've come back from injury and I'm predominantly a winger and I think I played one match there last year. At the moment I'm very much focused on playing the wing." 

However, he added that if he were asked to fill in at 13, "he would't turn it down".

Bowe explained how Joe Schmidt has brought a new level of intensity to the Ireland setup, even though he admits that he is playing "catch-up" to an extent after missing Six Nations, as well as encouraging players from different provinces to come together and chat about their roles in distinct plays.

With tough European games coming thick and fast over the next few weeks, Bowe is eager to get as much game-time as possible after a torrid run of injuries.

"For me, I'm delighted to be back playing. I feel good, my body feels good. I want to play myself back into form," he said.

"Physically, I feel the best I've felt since coming back to Ulster."

Bowe looked ahead to the Rugby Champions Cup opener against old sparring partners Leicester Tigers and the following week's encounter against reigning Heineken Cup champions Toulon.

The Monaghan man also gave his take on the appointment of Neil Doak as head coach and the arrival of Les Kiss as director of rugby after the World Cup.

Off the pitch, he has also obtained his pilot's licence and spoke about the process of taking to the skies.