Gavin Cummiskeytalks to recent schools player and current Irish squad member Luke Fitzgerald.
Luke Fitzgerald. Schoolboy hero . . . no . . . Leinster protégé. Hang on, scratch the above (a summer of negotiation saw the teenager evolve from academy to development to full contract, all accelerated, surely, by informal interest from Munster). Let's start again: Luke Fitzgerald, international winger. March to November. It's been a whirlwind experience for the latest wonder kid to be produced by Irish rugby's most vibrant talent outlet.
The SCT. The Cup. That was the goal that consumed Fitzgerald's life in 2006 but by New Year it was the Magners Celtic League, then the Heineken European Cup, and now the Six Nations and, of course, the big one, the World Cup.
Fitzgerald's rise has been meteoric - even by golden-boy standards of what went before. Brian O'Driscoll played for Ireland before Leinster but was 20 when he measured up to Tim Horan and Daniel Herbert in June, 1999. Gordon D'Arcy rejected the 1998 tour of South Africa while still immersed in the Clongowes way of life but it wasn't until 2003 that he made a lasting impression for Ireland. Rob Kearney made an impact in his second year out of school but this season has been the real making of the man.
Reports filtered back all summer. Australian World Cup winners Chris Whitaker and Owen Finegan were double-taking at this unknown teenager's hand-eye co-ordination at training. The confidence levels were also noted - he'll let someone with 50-plus caps know the bottom line if the ball touches the dirt.
Fitzgerald hopscotched Kearney and established pros like Gary Brown within weeks. Eddie O'Sullivan rewarded the brief glimpses, albeit of a ridiculous skills arsenal, with promotion to the Ireland training camp in September when, with Kearney, he replaced the injured John Kelly and Anthony Horgan. Last week, he was retained in the Irish set-up for the Six Nations.
"I was playing quite well at the time and I think being called up to the training camp was Eddie O'Sullivan probably wanting to expose me to the next level. You could say I was pleasantly surprised but to be selected, no, I didn't see that coming."
In November, Fitzgerald was part of the last Irish team to play at Lansdowne Road. After 19 years, 10 weeks and four days he had emulated his father Des, although it will take another 33 appearances to equal an international propping career that spanned 1984 to 1992.
"It all just hit me in the dressingroom beforehand," he admitted and a nervous energy was evident in the early exchanges before a liberating run after half-time provided another preview of what lies beneath.
"I don't get nervous before games. Playing at that standard is more a realisation the level of skill and speed is far greater than anything I had ever experienced before. The physical aspect was a real eye-opener too. I learned that as soon as I made my Leinster debut in Dax during the summer. It ensured my focus on physical development doubled."
Fitzgerald's rapid rise started earlier that month with a decent defensive display at fullback against Australia A at Thomond Park. He even got on the end of a flowing move for a try in the 24-17 defeat. "I felt no nerves as I knew most of the guys around me. Any time you step up a level it brings your game on."
Promotion to the full Ireland team blew apart the initial goal of establishing himself in the Leinster team, ironically, something he has yet to do.
It took a shoulder injury, sustained against the Pacific Islands, to finally stall what seemed unrelenting progress. Kearney, a rival at Leinster but destined long term to be a team-mate at international level, had regained form (the two were on opposing sides during the 2004 schools' cup final when Blackrock beat Clongowes).
A fit-again Fitzgerald had to be content with a late run in the recent thumping of Edinburgh at Donnybrook. He missed selection for the 22 that lost in Gloucester.
"I have an awful lot more to give. I have a good work ethic, which I feel is the most important aspect for a rugby player. The physical side of my game needs to improve but working with Brad Harrington and the other coaches at Leinster has been a huge help. I lost a few kilos during the pre-season but I wasn't eating properly anyway.
"Since, I've gained five kilos and I'm up to 88 kilos now."
Talk of pre-season training, and a new term called "prehab", brings us back to his first taste of the professional world. How'd it compare to the Blackrock College rugby programme?
"In school you think it is as intense but it's not. The attitude is similar but there can be up to three or four sessions a day with Leinster. You can't do that in school as class takes priority.
"The school does work well with the time, in fairness. Day boys would have a weights session from 7.50 to 8.30 in the morning nearly every day. I was a border so we did our weights, or core training, at night between study.There is a half-hour session at lunchtime where the forwards would tend to work harder than the backs . . . actual training in Blackrock took place from 4pm to 5.30pm, with a shorter session on Friday."
How did physical conditioning compare to the Leinster set-up? "The weights programme in Blackrock has the right idea. (Former Leinster strength coach) Dave Fagan offered his advice but the school didn't have the time to facilitate him. I feel someone like Dave should be in the school helping out. It would be better if we had a proper weights programme. I did a lot of my own stuff to fill the void.
"Considering how important the schools are to Irish rugby, it makes sense to have Leinster coaches coming in to ensure the correct development. The schools could be more open to an approach."
What makes Fitzgerald's rapid move from schoolboy to full international so remarkable is the obstacles he overcame. In autumn 2005, Fitzgerald was beginning a third season on the Blackrock SCT only to miss three months with a broken collarbone. The damage was complicated by shoulder nerve damage that sidelined him until a second-half appearance in the quarter-final against Kilkenny College. A broken field run that February day, when he sliced 80 yards up field before the cover closed in, and a wonderfully disguised pass alerted first-time viewers to his prodigious ability.
The semi-final (against Belvedere) and final (St Michael's) on St Patrick's Day were forward-dominated affairs. "I hurt my ankle 15 minutes into the final so I didn't get to show my best form. That was also partially due to the way St Michael's shut us down. Then there was the weather."
It was a horrendous afternoon. Blackrock crossed for two tries before reverting to pick-and-drive tactics into the gale. "I wasn't too happy with my performance but we got hold of the cup and that, of course, was the main priority."
A few weeks later he opted out of the Under-19 World Cup in Dubai to focus on making an immediate breakthrough with Leinster. Something nobody expected. There have been a couple of hiccups since, a dropped high ball or shipping a heavy tackle when trying to offload in the Celtic League. There have also been occasional signs of a devastating step and scary pace from a standing start.
What is the 19-year-old's philosophy? "Listen to anyone who offers advice, you don't necessarily have to take it but pick off the pieces that will be beneficial to your game."
Luke Fitzgerald
December 2005- Breaks collarbone against St Michael's.
February 2006- Comes on in Leinster Schools' Cup quarter-final against Kilkenny. Starts semi-final victory over Belvedere College.
March 2006- Wins his second Senior Cup medal after a 14-12 win over St Michael's. Doesn't go to Under-19 World Cup in Dubai due to Leaving Cert and several injuries.
Summer 2006- Bypasses Academy, and club rugby, to sign a full contract before Leinster debut.
August 2006- Leinster debut against Dax in pre-season friendly.
September 2006- Celtic League appearance against Edinburgh. Called up to Irish training camp.
October 2006- Makes European Cup debut against Edinburgh and is included in Irish 32-man squad for November internationals.
November 2006- Try-scoring debut for Ireland A against Australia in Limerick before becoming the youngest full international since Alistair McKibbin in 1977 in the final Test match at Lansdowne Road against the Pacific Islands.
January 2006- Retained in a 35-man Irish squad, despite only recently recovering from a shoulder injury, for the Six Nations.
