Four full games in a row but a long, long way to go
A lesser man would have thrown in the towel well over a year ago and focused of life after rugby. Luke Fitzgerald has twice fought back from career-threatening injuries a a fitness conundrum that dogged him over 18 harrowing months, up until his 7 December comeback against Harlequins.
Hip, abductor and groin problems have combined to shunt Fitzgerald off the pitch for long periods but he has battled back each time. He has completed four full matches in four weeks but insists he is not interested in being rested for Ulster’s visit to Dublin this Saturday.
Speaking to TV3 this afternoon, Fitzgerald admitted, ‘I did (fear for my future) actually. I felt there was no escaping it really. The guys were unbelievably patient with me. There were a couple of times when I just walked out and said ‘I can’t, I can’t do this. I’ve done months of rehab and I still feel like I’m going nowhere.
‘I’m still trying to find my feet and feel like I’m a little off the pace from where I’d like to be. There is a lot more to come from me as long as I can keep playing.’
Of course, when a talented, versatile performer like Fitzgerald gets a run of games together, he is linked with an Ireland recall. His last appearance for Ireland was as a replacement for Brian O’Driscoll in the narrow loss to New Zealand in 2013. Joe Schmidt has mentioned him as a midfield option in the past and, if he stays fit, he remains a tantilising option ahead of the Six Nations.
Fitzgerald adds, ‘It’s not necessarily a position I’ve featured much in but we have a couple of big weeks coming up here in the blue jersey and a couple of big opportunities for me here, if I get picked… You’ve always got to back yourself but there is a lot of competition for the place.’
