Luke Fitz out for rest of season

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2012/0504/319741-fitzgerald-out-for-rest-of-season/

Bad news for Luke Fitz - neck injury and need for surgery means he's out for the rest of the season and the tour to NZ. It's bad news for Fitz especially given the pretty rough time he's had in the past year or two. He's a loss for Leinster but there are plenty of replacements waiting to take his place - Kearney Jnr must be in with a shot for the HC final and for the NZ tour Kearney Jnr, Zebo, Gilroy et al must be in with a good shout for a place in the panel for NZ.

Jesus that sounds awful, and serious. The poor man. He really has had a rotten time with injuries.

Darn. Feel sorry for him. Another injury lay off. And once again it happens when he was starting to play really well. He has the potential to be our best back. But he's so unlucky.

Just hope his contract is sorted soon. Bad luck Luke.

For Leinster, McFadden to start on the wing with D Kearney on the bench?

Naw. D. Kearney to start for me. Proper winger. Mcfadden is not. But Id bet Schmidt will still put him there. Experience?

Get well soon Lukey.

Gibbo, have you not learned by now to unconditionally trust Joe?

I have, in work last week someone mentioned to me about our selection last week, they said "ah but Reddan is better though isn't he?" all i could say is that Boss is there to do what Joe wants him to do, there are no "better" players, only suitable players.

In Joe we trust!

He's so unlucky. After missing the World Cup he's basically missed the next 8 tests through injury. If Trimble pulls his finger out and/or someone like Zebo, Gilroy or D. Kearney impresses for Ireland in the summer he risks becoming Irelands forgotten man.

Trimble has been unimpressive for Ulster since the Six Nations, Bowe and Fitzgerald are out injured and Earls will probably continue at 13 (surely, SURELY, we will see a new centre partnership that isn't D'Arcy/O'Driscoll on this tour!?). So I see this tour as being a great chance for someone to come into the squad and make a name for themselves.

If Joe Scmidt told me jump in a river I'd immediately do it without question.

Mick,
Ive grown to love and trust our Joe. But I never trust anyone unconditionally. Too many arse-burns for that.
His persistence with Darcy over McFadden bothers me. May be a call from on High. Or Deccie-height.

They are both up to it. I just prefer Kearney in the form he's in. And the fact that he is a winger.

But I'm odd.

That's our tactics for the Final sorted then.

Kidnap the real Joe Schmidt, send in a clean-shaven Jared Payne in a blonde wig. Mind you, once he picks Mike Ross at outhalf the unconditional trust may well be stretched to its limit...

Gibson wrote:Mick,
Ive grown to love and trust our Joe. But I never trust anyone unconditionally. Too many arse-burns for that.
His persistence with Darcy over McFadden bothers me. May be a call from on High. Or Deccie-height.

They are both up to it. I just prefer Kearney in the form he's in. And the fact that he is a winger.

But I'm odd.

I appreciate that bud, but you can't argue with results!

Notch wrote:He's so unlucky. After missing the World Cup he's basically missed the next 8 tests through injury. If Trimble pulls his finger out and/or someone like Zebo, Gilroy or D. Kearney impresses for Ireland in the summer he risks becoming Irelands forgotten man.

Trimble has been unimpressive for Ulster since the Six Nations, Bowe and Fitzgerald are out injured and Earls will probably continue at 13 (surely, SURELY, we will see a new centre partnership that isn't D'Arcy/O'Driscoll on this tour!?). So I see this tour as being a great chance for someone to come into the squad and make a name for themselves.

Is Kidney getting lucky again? No choice but to blood new players?

I think so. Bu88er!

Of course I want the team to evolve, I just want rid of him asap.

Nah, he probably will pick

11. Earls
12. D'Arcy
13. O'Driscoll
14. McFadden
15. Kearney

I'm just praying he doesn't pick that centre partnership again. Surely he can't.

Mickado wrote:

Gibson wrote:Mick,
Ive grown to love and trust our Joe. But I never trust anyone unconditionally. Too many arse-burns for that.
His persistence with Darcy over McFadden bothers me. May be a call from on High. Or Deccie-height.

They are both up to it. I just prefer Kearney in the form he's in. And the fact that he is a winger.

But I'm odd.

I appreciate that bud, but you can't argue with results!

Nope. Weelll... He'd better do the Double this time, or he's DUST!

Sorry to hear about Fitzgerald. Brilliant player who's had a rough couple of seasons...his supposed poor form has been much exaggerated.

He's still a young man with plenty of great times ahead.

I hope Leinster don't use this as an excuse when....cough.... I mean if they lose the Heino final..... .....

It doesn't really weaken Leinster that much to be honest. The weakest link of a lethal back three and oodles of talented back-up.

Back to Fitzy. Maybe this op, rest & recuperation, will bring him back twice the player. Look what happened with Rob Kearney. And BOD. When on song, (yeah I know), there is no doubting that he belongs on the Irish team. I hope he re-signs. And soon.

Fitz has been poorly treated by the media and fans, even at his worst he was still one of the best player in the country.

It was an appalling decision to leave him out of the RWC squad.

Good luck to him, if I were him I'd tell the IRFU were to go and clear off to France or the SH were they will appreciate his talents.

Rant over.

I want him to stay at Leinster. When he's fit he plays, and with a run of games he finds his form and opens up defences. If he can just get an injury free season next year he'll get back into the Irish team.

Lately, rugby has really been showing how ruthless it is as a sport. One minute you're a shining light, the next you're contemplating a completely new life outside the sport. (Flannery, Horgan and Wallace, to name three quick fire Irish retirements)

After all the talk about Fitzgerald - his will he /won't he stay?; his will he/won't he be part of Kidney's latest plans for reviving Irish fortunes? etc, etc - now the omenous sounding 'out for the rest of the season' and neck surgery.

That could see him return better than before or it could mean that during recuperation time he's forced to accept that the repair didn't work and it might very well be Bye bye to the name Luke Fitzgerald. Ruthless sport that requires an awful lot of luck to get a satisfactory career out of.

In fairness Fly I don't think you can draw comparisons with the likes of Wallace, Horgan and Flannery..those guys had their run and 99.9% of rugby players would give their right arms to have half the careers they had.

Unfortunately they didn't get to go out on their own terms but they all had fantastic careers.

Fitzgerald has been really unlucky lately but hes still only 25(?), its way too soon to write him off.

rodders wrote:In fairness Fly I don't think you can draw comparisons with the likes of Wallace, Horgan and Flannery..those guys had their run and 99.9% of rugby players would give their right arms to have half the careers they had.

Unfortunately they didn't get to go out on their own terms but they all had fantastic careers.

Fitzgerald has been really unlucky lately but hes still only 25(?), its way too soon to write him off.

I know the top three had long careers - that wasn't my point, Rodders. My point was that certainly two of those guys - I could even slip Flannery into it too I suppose) but certainly Horgan and Wallace were playing as well as if not better than they had in their entire careers right before the injuries hit and stopped their careers dead in the water.

Now it happens in many sports but seldom with the slap-bang ruthlessness that happens in rugby. One minute you're the hopes of a Province or a country and the next you're wearing a suit talking about the memories. I was quite shocked by Horgan (and Wallace) - he was having a great season and then the bloody suit and tie in the studio and...well, I've been watching rugby a long time, but that still shocks me after all this time. The suddeness of the conversion, and indeed that sense that the sport itself moves on with scant emotion - NEXT!

And as for Fitzgerald. It's a neck injury and if it can't be repaired sufficiently and it's a contact sport then I think it's not being too rash to suggest we already might have seen the last of Fitzgerald - age won't have very much to do with the idea of struggling on with an injury that didn't take surgery. Surely, I wish him the best and hope to see him next year - but nothing is ever written in stone with rugby injuries.

Totally agree Fly on Wallace and Horgan, both were at the top of their games but the bottom line is once you get to that age you are only a bad injury away from the end. Recovery is not the same and at 34 + you can't really afford to take long periods out.

Fitzgerald is a different kettle of fish.

rodders wrote:Totally agree Fly on Wallace and Horgan, both were at the top of their games but the bottom line is once you get to that age you are only a bad injury away from the end. Recovery is not the same and at 34 + you can't really afford to take long periods out.

Fitzgerald is a different kettle of fish.

I know all about shoddy recovery times and being 34+!!!! Don't be rubbing it in, Rodders!