Thumbs up for young gun Luke

THE youngest of Ireland’s three new rugby caps, Luke Fitzgerald, received a ringing endorsement from his captain Brian O’Driscoll yesterday.

Fitzgerald, a former Irish Examiner National Junior Sports Star, becomes the youngest player to play for Ireland since Alistair McKibbin against Wales in 1977 when he lines out against the Pacific Islands at Lansdowne on Sunday.

The Irish skipper holds his Leinster colleague in high esteem and believes the decision to play the youngster is well merited.

“A good tell-tale sign about the level of a guy’s talent is to see what he can do with a football. I’ve never seen a guy with soccer skills like him.

“He does amazing little skills and routines before training. He would put you to shame! I think that extends into his rugby playing ability as well.”

O’Driscoll continued: “It’s a massively exciting time for Luke. The guy has only just turned 19 and he finds himself given a chance in a Test match.

“It’s fully deserved, given his form this year; you would never think the guy is still a teenager.

“He plays very well, has a great attitude and is far more mature than you expect from a 19-year-old. Even in this professional era, he goes further than the distance required. Invariably he’s trying to kick off either foot, turning up early for training and leaving training late.”

Fitzgerald, sitting nervously on centre stage, expressed delight at his selection and vowed to wear the Irish jersey with pride.

“It was an amazing experience when I put on the Ireland A jersey in Limerick last week. This is one step higher again,” he said.

The captain was also full of praise for new number eight Jamie Heaslip, with whom he has lined out alongside for Leinster on several occasions.

O’Driscoll noted: “Jamie might have been capped before now, but he suffered a couple of injuries at crucial times. He had a huge season for Leinster last season and has continued that good form into this season. He’s a real talisman.

“There was a worry in Leinster that when Victor Costello retired, nobody would be able to pick up on his style. Jamie came in and plugged that hole immediately. He is a guy who’s good to have around the squad.”

And Heaslip certainly is relishing his opportunity.

“I think the greatest thrill for me on Sunday will be when I get the ball in my hands for the first time,” said the newcomer.

O’Driscoll confessed to not knowing as much about the third new player, Stephen Ferris, as his two Leinster colleagues. “But,” he said, “it’s not easy to ignore what has been said about him.

“He comes in with a big reputation, and I’m sure he will live up to that.”

Like Fitzgerald’s prowess in football, some of the Irish squad, notably Paul O’Connell, are in awe of the work Ferris does in the gym.

O’Driscoll said: “Paul came back after a workout yesterday and spoke about Stephen’s capacity to lift phenomenal weights, saying that he wasn’t even concentrating on weight but more the technique that goes with being able to do it. That shows he has put in the work and that doesn’t come overnight.

“He has started young, and he appears to know what he wants around the pitch. He’s also quite vocal and that’s a good thing for a young player coming into a squad.”

O’Driscoll will have special words of advice for the three newcomers, and indeed for Paddy Wallace, who won his first cap as a replacement against South Africa.

O’Driscoll was capped at just slightly a less tender age (20) than Fitzgerald against Australia in Brisbane seven years ago.

“I remember thinking that it was a big ask to play against the likes of Tim Horan and Daniel Herbert, but it was a great occasion. The thing is that the first time playing for your country always seems to fly by – the experience is over almost as soon as it began, so you hope that you can do something that helps your side in the process.”

The vastly experienced O’Driscoll hopes to help the three newcomers and Wallace as much as possible. On the Ulsterman, who gets a chance to stake a claim as number two to Ronan O’Gara, he said: “For a while, Paddy has been a nearly man, I played U19’s with him and he was a massive talent back then but it never quite really happened for him.

“Now he has shown great form for Ulster, he got capped against the Springboks, and he should benefit from that. There is huge responsibility on the likes of myself, Shane Horgan and obviously Peter Stringer to help him out, to use our experience to help him through.

“Paddy is naturally talented, lovely passer, great off either foot and if he gets to concentrate on his own game, then he is capable of having a great performance.”