WHEN DENIS HICKIE and Brian O’Driscoll visited the French and Rugby camp outside Biarritz in the early 00s, they couldn’t have known that one of the small teenagers who was eager to meet them would end up sharing the field with the duo soon after.
You can just about recognise Luke Fitzgerald between the two Leinster legends and you’ll have to work hard to find a more illustrious photo, with the trio having 223 Ireland caps between them.
Denis Hickie told The42 that he had actually seen the picture before the IRFU tweeted it out prior to the Scotland match two weeks ago, and it reminds him of how long ago his rugby career seems now.
“The main thing I thought when I saw it was how old I am,” Hickie laughed.
“Nigel Osborne [who ran the camp] actually sent me the photo a few years ago so I had seen it but I suppose last week it made its way into the Twittersphere, or whatever you call it. I remember Nigel telling me that he was a fantastic player and we were actually playing in the same team five or six years later.”
Fitzgerald and Hickie’s careers only overlapped for one season but having gone through two major injuries himself, Hickie can understand just how big a deal it is for the 27-year-old to have made it back for both Leinster and Ireland.
Hickie and Fitzgerald played together in the 2006/2007 season. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
The duo have many similarities on the field – dazzling footwork being one thing – but their ability to recover from prolonged lay-offs is also noteworthy.
Advertisement
“There are two main challenges when you are coming back from a long-term injury,” Hickie said.
“The first is to just get back on the field and that takes a huge amount of work. The second is that when you do get a chance, you have to take it. That is when you go out for 80 minutes and I thought Luke took every chance that came his way against Scotland.”
Fitzgerald has looked sharp for Leinster throughout the year but his performance in the Six Nations finale was a real indicator that he is nearing his best. And while he has played at centre regularly for Leinster, some of his strongest displays have come on the wing.
“His back three play is very strong, defensively he is very good, so everything Joe [Schmidt] wants from one of his wings,” Hickie said.
“You forget how much experience Luke has because he achieved so much at a young age. He played for Ireland when he was very young and was capped for the Lions very early too. Getting back was the culmination of two years of really hard work for him.”
Fitzgerald will need to put in a performance on-par with his Murrayfield effort at the Aviva this Saturday as Leinster host Bath in the Champions Cup quarter-final.
Hickie has been impressed by Bath's backline this season. Inpho / Billy Stickland
Inpho / Billy Stickland / Billy Stickland
Bath coach Mike Ford has an international backline at his disposal and Hickie thinks they have the potential to do serious damage this weekend.
“They are a great team and have some very exciting attacking players,” Hickie said.
“George Ford, Jonathan Joseph and Anthony Watson were very good in the Six Nations and I think Kyle Eastmond was in line to play until he got injured. They are probably the best attacking backline in Europe at the moment, anyone who saw them play against Toulouse will know how good they are.”
The bonus point win in France that Hickie referenced was one of the most exciting club performances of the season and if Bath hit that sort of form on Saturday, it will be tough for the home team.
The Leinster attack has been criticised this season but Hickie thinks the resolve shown by the side to score three second half tries in the 34-34 draw with Glasgow bodes well going into Saturday.
“I think the team will take a lot from last Friday. They didn’t get the win but they can take a lot from the manner in which they came back in the second half. There are some Leinster guys in the backline who played very well in the Six Nations. Their attack has copped a lot of flak this year but I’m not entirely sure it hasn’t be overblown. There is no shortage of quality and class in Leinster’s backline.”
Hickie thinks Saturday’s game will be a cracker and points to the Aviva Stadium as something that could be a big factor in the end result.
“I think it will be a high scoring game and I favour Leinster to win,” Hickie said.
“Both sides have players in form but home advantage is big for Leinster, statistically the home teams usually win their quarter-finals.”
Denis Hickie on THAT photo with Luke Fitz and the wing's return to scintillating form
WHEN DENIS HICKIE and Brian O’Driscoll visited the French and Rugby camp outside Biarritz in the early 00s, they couldn’t have known that one of the small teenagers who was eager to meet them would end up sharing the field with the duo soon after.
You can just about recognise Luke Fitzgerald between the two Leinster legends and you’ll have to work hard to find a more illustrious photo, with the trio having 223 Ireland caps between them.
Denis Hickie told The42 that he had actually seen the picture before the IRFU tweeted it out prior to the Scotland match two weeks ago, and it reminds him of how long ago his rugby career seems now.
“The main thing I thought when I saw it was how old I am,” Hickie laughed.
“Nigel Osborne [who ran the camp] actually sent me the photo a few years ago so I had seen it but I suppose last week it made its way into the Twittersphere, or whatever you call it. I remember Nigel telling me that he was a fantastic player and we were actually playing in the same team five or six years later.”
Fitzgerald and Hickie’s careers only overlapped for one season but having gone through two major injuries himself, Hickie can understand just how big a deal it is for the 27-year-old to have made it back for both Leinster and Ireland.
The duo have many similarities on the field – dazzling footwork being one thing – but their ability to recover from prolonged lay-offs is also noteworthy.
“There are two main challenges when you are coming back from a long-term injury,” Hickie said.
“The first is to just get back on the field and that takes a huge amount of work. The second is that when you do get a chance, you have to take it. That is when you go out for 80 minutes and I thought Luke took every chance that came his way against Scotland.”
Fitzgerald has looked sharp for Leinster throughout the year but his performance in the Six Nations finale was a real indicator that he is nearing his best. And while he has played at centre regularly for Leinster, some of his strongest displays have come on the wing.
“His back three play is very strong, defensively he is very good, so everything Joe [Schmidt] wants from one of his wings,” Hickie said.
“You forget how much experience Luke has because he achieved so much at a young age. He played for Ireland when he was very young and was capped for the Lions very early too. Getting back was the culmination of two years of really hard work for him.”
Fitzgerald will need to put in a performance on-par with his Murrayfield effort at the Aviva this Saturday as Leinster host Bath in the Champions Cup quarter-final.
Bath coach Mike Ford has an international backline at his disposal and Hickie thinks they have the potential to do serious damage this weekend.
“They are a great team and have some very exciting attacking players,” Hickie said.
“George Ford, Jonathan Joseph and Anthony Watson were very good in the Six Nations and I think Kyle Eastmond was in line to play until he got injured. They are probably the best attacking backline in Europe at the moment, anyone who saw them play against Toulouse will know how good they are.”
The bonus point win in France that Hickie referenced was one of the most exciting club performances of the season and if Bath hit that sort of form on Saturday, it will be tough for the home team.
The Leinster attack has been criticised this season but Hickie thinks the resolve shown by the side to score three second half tries in the 34-34 draw with Glasgow bodes well going into Saturday.
“I think the team will take a lot from last Friday. They didn’t get the win but they can take a lot from the manner in which they came back in the second half. There are some Leinster guys in the backline who played very well in the Six Nations. Their attack has copped a lot of flak this year but I’m not entirely sure it hasn’t be overblown. There is no shortage of quality and class in Leinster’s backline.”
Hickie thinks Saturday’s game will be a cracker and points to the Aviva Stadium as something that could be a big factor in the end result.
“I think it will be a high scoring game and I favour Leinster to win,” Hickie said.
“Both sides have players in form but home advantage is big for Leinster, statistically the home teams usually win their quarter-finals.”
Do you remember the time Leinster travelled to Bath and played the perfect game of rugby?
The Champions Cup semi-final venues are out so if you’re a bullish Leinster fan, get booking
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
European Rugby Champions Cup Denis Hickie different eras Ireland Leinster Luke Fitzgerald Bath Rugby