Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
It was bad defeat but at last I felt that I BELONGED
Fitzgerald on 2015 RWC pain
HERE’S a strange one, an Irishman who can look back on that World Cup quarter-final of two years ago with a sense of pride. This evening Ireland and Argentina meet for the first time since the Pumas’ 43-20 victory in Cardiff.
The game proved to be Luke Fitzgerald’s Test swansong, the last of 35 caps earned over nine years of an injury-ravaged career. Feeling ready to fly on the world stag, Fitzgerald had argued his case to Joe Schmidt that he should start.
Instead, he came off the bench for Tommy Bowe after 25 minutes with Ireland in a hopeless position. He scored one try and made another but it wasn’t enough. “Obviously it was a really disappointing day for everyone,” recalled Fitzgerald.
“I had a lot of unfulfilment throughout my career. I spent a lot of it injured and never really reached my potential. I hadn’t even been to a World Cup before.
“So on a personal level I felt a little bit vindicated, having said to Joe I should’ve started.
“I played well on the biggest stage, in front of 70,000 people in a World Cup quarter-final, when things were going badly.
“So I can say that in my last game I produced the goods on the biggest stage. That’s a nice feeling.
“It was a sad day for everyone, including me. But I was glad I got to perform there and that I know that I belonged at the top level.”
Watching the Fiji game last Saturday, Fitzgerald picked out a few players in a muchchanged side who he believes also belong at Test level – Joey Carbery, Chris Farrell, Andrew Conway, Jack Conan and, in particular, Andrew Porter.
“Andrew wasn’t really men-
tioned afterwards which surprised me,” he said. “To play at international level as a tighthead at 22 is pretty unheard of and he did exceptionally well.
“The future’s in good hands – and more will put their hands up in the next 18 months.”
With Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose and Keith Earls all unavailable tonight, Farrell starts with Bundee Aki in a new centre partnership.
But Fitzgerald has mixed feelings about the selection of the impressive Aki, the latest player eligible under residency rules.
Since his retirement, he has expressed criticism of Ireland’s employment of the rule that will extend from three to five years in 2020.
He said: “It’s not Bundee’s fault, he’s only operating within the rules but I think they’ve got it wrong.
“Joe is absolutely right to pick the best team, it’s his job, his career is based on results.
“But someone like Garry Ringrose, who has come up through the system, could end up suffering. He should be in that position when fit but we’ll see what happens.”
Former Ireland boss Eddie O’sullivan has suggested that the currently injured Carbery move on loan to Ulster for the regular game time at No10 which he’s not getting at Leinster.
“Joey has some more developing to do but could play a very important role at the World Cup,” said Fitzgerald. “I hear what Eddie’s saying, but he’d be crazy to leave.
“He’ll get plenty of opportunities at Leinster – he’s getting them now at 15 – and is working with a great coach in Stuart Lancaster.
“As a back at Leinster, you get loads of opportunities with front foot ball. There’s so much quality around him. I think he’s Leinster’s first choice full-back at this stage.
“He takes a lot of pressure off Johnny Sexton. He can do a bit of everything. He’s been magical.”
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