Child prodigy: can you spot the Irish centre?

No marks for recognising the two Ireland internationals, but what about the kid flanked by Brian O'Driscoll and Denis Hickie?

Admittedly, quite a lot has changed in terms of size, muscle definition and follicle count since this snap was taken at the Rugby and French camp in Soustons near Biarritz back in 2000, however, there's still no mistaking a boyish Luke Fitzgerald.

Coming up to his 13th birthday at the time of the photo, Fitzgerald was always regarded as a star in the making, however, there's a certain leap of faith involved in the fact that the little guy in the photograph is now O'Driscoll's centre partner for both Leinster and Ireland.

A regular attendee at the successful Rugby and French operation, where the coaching staff is led by Nigel Osborne, Bill Davison and former Ireland international, Kelvin Leahy, the young Fitzgerald was so dedicated that on one occasion, the coaches decided to confiscate all the camp's rugby balls so their protégé could get some sleep. But Fitzgerald managed to find a way around the problem, and as darkness fell, he was spotted organising a game of tip in which a Lucozade bottle was used as a ball.This column, whose offspring spotted the photo following a productive stay at Soustons, is happy to unashamedly plug Osborne's centre of excellence. Further details can be found at www.rugbyandfrench.com