Fitzgerald still eyeing No 13 spot

Eighteen months ago, Luke Fitzgerald opted against a mooted move south to Munster and among the reasons later given was a promise from then Leinster coach Joe Schmidt that he would get more game time at outside centre.

It hasn’t quite worked out like that.

Schmidt moved up the road to the IRFU’s HQ soon after, making any pact at club level redundant, and a cruel run of injuries has left the Blackrock grad desperate for rugby anywhere on the pitch. Tonight, he gets his shot at the number 13 jersey in the biggest game of the campaign because of a long-term injury to Ben Te’o and a shorter-term problem for Gordon D’Arcy who aggravated a calf injury in the defeat to Harlequins at The Stoop last week.