RUGBY: JOHNNY WATTERSONon how the versatile back has recovered his verve and is ready to push hard for his Ireland spot

HERE THE Villarreal soccer players walk through the sliding doors of Carton House three at a time, a ball in each hand, the Irish rugby team in single file. They may have had a photograph taken with the Spanish club side, who are over in Ireland on pre-season training but telling one group from the other isn’t going to be that difficult when the pictures arrive back.

Luke Fitzgerald, sporting a burnished look, may not be the biggest in the Irish squad but his bulk dwarfs even the Spaniards’ biggest men. But Fitzgerald, of all the Irish players, possesses the sparkling footwork that even the La Liga team would recognise.

Fitzgerald should be one of Declan Kidney’s projects this summer.

It is no secret this mercurial player lost his dazzle and his way last season. Watching as his confidence first fractured then drained away was one of the more painful aspects of Ireland’s Six Nations Championship, as the highly-charged strike runner became lost, unrecognisable.

When he bottomed out he found himself outside of Kidney’s first pick. Since establishing himself at the top, it was a place he had never been before.

“Last year was definitely a struggle when I got dropped,” he says. “I struggled for form and confidence. I think I got that together in the last couple of games. I played well in the two finals (Heineken Cup and Magners League).

“It was more that it was the first time I’d been dropped by Deccie (Kidney), so I was very disappointed and it was a big shock to me.

“So even though you are aware that you might not be playing your best rugby, you’re still expecting to get into the team next week so you can make up for it.”

There were mitigating circumstances. Fitzgerald was being moved around and as his confidence ebbed, the different positions forced him to try harder. He over-ran passes, knocked on. But more than that, the lustre dimmed and he was unable to correct himself until back with Leinster for the closing games of the season.

“Look, it was disappointing last year and I’ll talk about it briefly now during pre-World Cup,” he says. “But I don’t want to talk about it afterwards, I think just move on from it. I finished the season strong and hopefully Deccie knows that and I’ll train hard and try to impress him and get back in the team.”

In all issues like these players find renewal. Fitzgerald is at that place now and while he was winded when Eddie O’Sullivan dropped him from the squad of 45 players for the last World Cup – “I was pretty amazed at that, so disappointed” – his determination this time is dusted with optimism.

His health is glowing. He has just returned, tanned, from a break. The training is challenging. His body is treating him with respect and his enthusiasm is no longer hesitant and guarded as it was a few months ago.

He has always been a goal-setter, and there is a lot to aim for in August and September. Largely he has reached them and this tilt at a New Zealand adventure is bigger but no different.

“You reassess,” he says. “You’ve got to, really. When I say reassess I mean you have to look and say ‘am I being realistic here?’ To be honest, I think I was being realistic. I never set goals that I don’t think I can make. Obviously you want to push yourself. In your mind you’re saying ‘I want to strive to get to that point’.

“I always think when you write things down it’s funny how they work out for you. It’s a weird thing. My dad (former Ireland prop Des), who works in business, says the same and the guy I work with, Enda McNulty (sports psychologist) says most people who goal-set tend to do quite well. So I’d be a big believer in that.

“Like I said, I was really happy to finish last season well and it was important to me to keep that momentum going and try and impress Deccie.”

Fitzgerald sees his try at the end of the season against Ulster, where he burnt Ruan Pienaar and Pedrie Wannenburg, as the turning point. It makes Carton House and the next month the beginning of something new rather than the end of a dark phase in his career. Few could argue that on form, the back line player is a winning pick for Kidney for a phase of rugby that will take in eight international matches in nine weeks. Rob Kearney is also back, Andrew Trimble too. Tommy Bowe remains imposing on the right and the equally mercurial Keith Earls and Fergus McFadden will have similar ambitious thoughts.

“That’ll be better for the team,” says Fitzgerald without a waver. “It’ll drive me on. I’m really, really excited about the challenges I’m going to face in the next couple of months, hopefully get a couple of opportunities. It’s all up for grabs as far as I’m concerned.”