Tour to Argentina:Gavin Duffy was a great white hope whose career took him into several culs-de-sac. Gerry Thornleyfinds the Connacht man, despite the fallow years, still full of optimism

Gavin Duffy. Remember him? One of the great white hopes of Irish rugby when he captained the Irish schools to their unbeaten tour of Australia in 2000 and then began cutting a swathe through the Irish professional ranks. His career became a little derailed in the last couple of seasons. Today, in many ways, he returns from near-oblivion.

Moving to England four years ago at 21 initially showed an independent spirit, but remaining with Harlequins after they were relegated two years ago set his career back. The most significant damage was to his confidence, for Duffy is a man who thrives on playing by instinct. The freer the spirit, the better he plays.

A pleasant and intelligent lad, with a misleadingly easy-going air, Duffy admits, "I lost that (freedom) the year we got relegated. I found the Premiership a lot more critical. You're under scrutiny a lot more, especially with the analysis, and I got so bogged down in that as well at times, watching videos over and over again. I almost went out not to make mistakes, and I'm not that kind of player. I have to go out and try things, I have to express myself, otherwise I don't enjoy it either."

At this point in his career, Duffy arguably isn't best placed to avail of today's sudden recall, but given where he was a few months ago, he's not inclined to complain. Besides, Eddie O'Sullivan has already spoken of the impressive temperament shown by Duffy on his debut in the second Test in Cape Town three years ago. Duffy was promoted to the Irish bench on the morning of the match, when Geordan Murphy was taken ill, and then found himself thrust into the fray in the 20th minute when Girvan Dempsey was injured.

A try-scoring sub's cameo against Scotland in 2005 was followed by two caps on the Japan tour later that year, when he also scored a brace of tries in the second Test, his last appearance for Ireland. That his subsequent Test career was limited to just three more appearances can be attributed to the quality of the current generation of Irish backs and the trajectory of his club career .

In that 2004-2005 season, his second at Harlequins, they were relegated, and after a season in the anonymity of the English First Division, his face didn't fit with Dean Richards at The Stoop when back in the Premiership this season. His return to Connacht in March came in the nick of time to earn him this tilt at the World Cup today.

"This year didn't go particularly as planned, to be honest," he say. "I was on the bench a lot of the time and sometimes I wasn't even on the bench, so I was getting a bit frustrated. I felt I had something to offer to the team but when you're on the bench or not even involved, it's very hard to progress your career."

For two years he had been first-choice fullback at Harlequins, before alternating between fullback and centre under Richards until losing out this season to Mike Brown, who, as it happens, makes his debut for England in Bloemfontein today.

"Maybe Dean didn't rate me, which is fair enough. Some coaches rate you and some coaches don't, and I was one of those cases."

The end of his times there has not embittered him or coloured his perspective: "I loved it over there. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Obviously it had good times as well as bad times, when we got relegated and the whole uncertainty of that time. 'Are the club going to get rid of players? Are the players going to be allowed leave?' The people in the office were affected as well. They were doing a great job; season-ticket sales were going up and up, and crowds were bigger than ever, but unfortunately they lost their jobs too and we were the ones to blame for that."

Harlequins romped through the second tier, playing in places Duffy would never have heard of, and lost just one game, away to Exeter, having put 70 points on them at The Stoop.

"It was a great experience," he insists. "But looking back now it might have been the wrong decision. I wouldn't say my career levelled off; it actually went backwards. At the time I felt it was the right decision. It was rugby-related, because we were the guys who got the club relegated and I wanted to help get them back up, but also I was enjoying it there and I just felt it would get my confidence back."

Aside from a sense of loyalty, Duffy also felt that with Richards heading up a new coaching ticket and the signing of Andrew Mehrtens signalling serious ambition, Harlequins' long-term future looked good. He'd had a taste of the good times in his first season there, 2003-2004, when Harlequins held their own in the Premiership and won the European Challenge Cup with a late try by another of their sizeable Irish contingent, Simon Keogh.

There was huge resolve in that Harlequins team, as evidenced by another late victory, over Connacht in the second leg of the semi-finals at the Sportsground, a bittersweet triumph.

"My dad didn't support either team that day; he just kept his mouth shut in the stands," recalls Duffy with a laugh. "I found it a bit emotional when we won as well. I was almost crying and didn't know why I was crying. Connacht had a great year that year and there was a massive crowd at the Sportsground. They felt they'd won the game when Eric Elwood scored a try which put them ahead. I remember meeting Gerry Kelly (Connacht CEO) when I walked off the pitch and knowing how much work he'd put in and how upset he was. And that kind of hit me as well. Odd, odd experience."

The following season there were memorable meetings with Munster in the Heineken European Cup, two of Harlequins' better performances, which prompted Alan Quinlan to ask him at the end of the Twickenham clash, "What's the story? Do you guys only want to beat Munster?"

Alas, for Duffy, 2004-2005 was otherwise merely the hard slog of the relegation campaign.

"I remember meeting Mervyn Murphy," recalls Duffy of his old Connacht team-mate turned Ireland video analyst. "We went through my games at fullback and you could have watched the game in fast-forward mode because I wasn't getting involved in the game at all."

He looks bigger now, and though he jokes that one of the things he learnt from playing in England is the visual effect of wearing tight jerseys, Duffy now weights 92 kilos compared to the 87 he carried when leaving in 2003. He is one of those who can eat without putting on the pounds.

"I did work on it. I think at the start I was nearly - not obsessed by it - but I let it get to me, that I was a bit light, and a bit weak, and I kind of lost a bit of confidence going into tackles. But I have worked on it and I feel a lot more confident again."

Connacht, and now Ireland, have helped him rediscover his old enthusiasm too, to get his mitts on the ball and play. He had always looked up to Elwood, his erstwhile team-mate and now the province's assistant coach, who has corrected some technical glitches in his passing and kicking.

While it wasn't a particularly productive season for Connacht, Duffy is one of a dozen new signings along with other returning sons such as Johnny O'Connor, Mike McCarthy and Mel Deane, as well as a couple of outhalves in his former Harlequins team-mate Andy Dunne and Tim Donnelly from the Waratahs via Brive.

"We've had a shake-up. We've changed things around a bit and hopefully we'll be a lot more competitive next season. I've signed for another two years and I'm very excited about it. The main thing now is to get back playing rugby again."

That much was brought home to him when other clubs sought videos of him and he didn't have any since last season. He always retained hope he could make the World Cup squad. Grateful to have an opportunity, like others in Santa Fe today, he knows it could well be his last.

"It's pressure, but otherwise I could have been sitting at home in England and wondering what if."

A one-time Gaelic footballer with Ballina Stephenites who was a losing All-Ireland minor finalist with Mayo in 1999, Duffy was obliged to watch from London during Ireland's historic sortie to Croke Park in the Six Nations.

"I'd love to have played in Croke Park, as anyone would with sporting blood in them. Yeah, I'd love to get back to Croke Park one day. I've been there a few times supporting Mayo and you want to play in the big games and in the big stadia."

Despite recent setbacks, he's far from regretful about the route his career has gone, and for now he has more pressing concerns. Extremely pressing.