Fingers crossed as Fitzgerald gets nod

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

The 26-year-old had been in superb form this season until an injury — which has at various times been described as one affecting his leg and groin, an abdominal strain or a pelvic complaint — ruined his chances of building on that with club and country.

He has played just 59 minutes of rugby since mid-January, all of them away to Cardiff on February 20, but has twice been pulled from a starting line-up due to injury and that was reflected in coach Matt O’Connor’s reply to how confident he was of [the player’s participation tonight.

“How long is a piece of string?” said the Australian.

“As we’ve said all along, it is one of those awkward pelvic issues that ‘you never really know’ and when you play the game like Luke does there’s a massive amount of force put through that area of his body on any given playing or training day. We’ve given him the best chance. We’ve looked at every opportunity to get him right and, fingers crossed, he’ll cross the plain tomorrow night and be good for us.”

Fitzgerald is one of 11 internationals in Leinster’s first 15 despite the absence of 11 more who are being rested after their Six Nations duties and in deference to stiffer tests to come against Munster and Toulon.

O’Connor made all the right noises about competition for places when speaking to the media yesterday, but there will undoubtedly be widespread changes once the front-line troops report back to the trenches.

Leinster secured 19 points from a possible 20 while the Ireland men were away doing their thing, however, and there is little about rock-bottom Zebre to suggest that the Italians will be able to prevent another five-point haul this evening.

LEINSTER: Z Kirchner, D Fanning, F McFadden, N Reid, L Fitzgerald, I Madigan, I Boss; M Bent, R Strauss, T Furlong, L Cullen (capt), M McCarthy, K McLaughlin, D Ryan, J Murphy.

Replacements: A Dundon, J O’Connell, M Moore, T Denton, S Jennings, E Reddan, J Gopperth, B Macken.