And some people didn’t think it would last……
Welcome to blog 3. Keego's column this week is encompassed by one person. Luke Fitzgerald!
There are people who think Luke is the second coming of Christ and there are some people who think of him as a spoilt child who is squandering his immense talent.
For me, I want the old Luke back, the one that frightened the opposition; he had the ‘Nacewa’ affect. This is when the player opposing him took half a step back when Luke got the ball. The same way the poor man opposing Isa does now. Watch any old Leinster or Ireland matches you have recorded and you will see this every time. Luke is probably the most talented Irish rugby player to come along in the last decade or so. He has more skill in his little finger than most of us have in our entire imaginary bodies. He was a standout performer for province and country for a long time……
Then it happened. Injuries mounted, self confidence waned, the hair got blonder and the tan improved.
We have seen talented players in other sports get lost in a sea of money, hangers on and soap opera starlets with low self esteem and high flexibility, and Luke was looking like he was on the same track. Minus the low self esteem highly flexible young ladies (this was added in an attempt at humor – yellow card for Keego).
He started for Ireland in 2006 and started with a bang in the November internationals. Being consistent on the wing with strong muscular performances. The future was bright. He has won grand slams, Heineken Cups and league titles. A lot of medals for a young man. He has won more medals since 2006 (6 years) than I have in my many years of attempting to play sport. Understandably, there may be a sense of entitlement built up from this. Being a very young man and having a talent for rugby which was nurtured at every level, maybe the eye has been taken off the ball a wee bit? Had it become too easy for our Luke? The same was said of the great Rob Kearney when he came back from injuries, he has been able to rediscover the form that has made him the best fullback in the game (name me someone who has been better in that position).
For us mortals, whenever we play well in whatever sport we attempt, we begin to expect a certain level of performance. When we don’t achieve that level, we realize we are not as good as we think we are and settle for ‘the best we can do’. That works for us, but at the elite level (which is exactly where Luke is) he cannot settle for ‘the best he can do’, he has to perform to the level the coach and the fans expect. If he doesn’t he is not picked. This has a very bad affect on his psyche. Now, I do not know the man, I am just using what little common sense I have left. I believe that this is what leads to the overrunning of passes and generally lackluster play we saw last season. When Leinster played Bath in Lansdowne Road (it will always be Lansdowne road to me) Luke was at his best. It wasn’t the ‘Nacewa affect’ it was the Fitzy affect. He scared Bath and it was great to see. I was watching the game in Bath (long story involving a bet, beer and a plane ticket) and even the diehard home fans where in awe of Luke’s performance. At least I think they where, they where hard to understand.
Which brings us to the here and now, after a season of ups, downs and further downs, Luke has a fairly serious injury. Neck injuries are very difficult for any sportsperson to recover from. When the neck says no, then it’s a no go! So Leinster being there for him with a one year contract extension is a huge positive for Luke. If they had decided to let him go when the contract negotiating nonsense was ongoing he would be in an awful state mentally (again this is just using common sense, no insider knowledge). It has bought him some time to get back to the player we all loved to watch. He Is only 24 (young and talented people with their lives ahead of them annoy me); time is very much on his side. I think with the right guidance and lessons learned we can get that player back…..
We can rebuild him.
With all of this being said, he has been taken care of at Leinster and this is a great move for province and Luke himself. He is comfortable here, and whilst his performances over the past 2 seasons have not been the best, maybe this one year contract extension is exactly what he needs to get his head back in the game. It is a virtual kick in the arse for the man who promised so much but hasn’t delivered to his potential.
I think this year is Luke’s year.
keego (@nkeegan): Newbie blogger, former professional wrestler, sometime attempted rugby player (@TheThirsty3rds), professional procrastinator and attempted musician with a fondness for long walks on the bar, tea and the couch. Opinionated Leinster fan and constant gardener.
