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6th July 2016
05:10pm BST

The Reds back was playing inside centre for Australia and Fitzgerald had him rightly scouted as a dangerman. With Ireland trailing 10-6 in the second half, Fitzgerald felt the time was right to lay down a marker. He told Off The Ball:
"I blew out my knee in a really, really awkward accident. "I was playing against Quade Cooper and there was something about him I just didn't like. I watched him all week and how he moved - he had beautiful footwork - and I saw [during the game] that he's going to put that on here. I had a perfect angle, too, to take his head off. "It served me right as I was going for a dirty shot on him. He ended up slipping as I came in and took out my knee."Fitzgerald was helped off the field and most of his 2009/10 season was a write-off. He did not play again for Ireland until November 2010. As for Cooper, he is still side-stepping with impunity but he has not represented the Wallabies since a pool game against Uruguay at the 2015 World Cup.

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