D’Arcy Raring To Return

…Gordon D’Arcy…

Having undergone a shoulder operation in the summer, Leinster and Ireland’s Gordon D’Arcy is edging ever closer to his first appearance of the new season.

The Wexford-born centre has been impressing Leinster coach Michael Cheika in training, so much so that he may make a quicker than expected return for the province away to Connacht next Friday.

Cheika said: “I’d say the way Gordon has been going in training, he might be in line for next week – if not to start, then maybe on the bench.”

D’Arcy, with his batteries fully recharged, is in a positive frame of mind ahead of what will undoubtedly be the longest season of the 26-year-old’s rugby career.

Speaking at the Ryder Cup Gala Dinner at the Citywest Hotel, he insisted: “I’m just coming back from my shoulder operation so I hope to be playing in the next two to three weeks.

“Then it’s just a case of trying to be fully fit for the start of the European Cup and the Autumn internationals.

“The long pre-season has been a bit of a blessing in disguise. We got an extra couple of weeks away from contact. It’s going to be a long year, but it feels really, really good – I’m just raring to get back playing rugby at this stage.”

The whole country has gone golf mad with the Ryder Cup in town this week, and D’Arcy is no different.

He added: “I’m starting to become a bit of a golf fan. I played my first game in about two-and-a-half years last week, so I’m getting back into the swing of things, if you excuse the pun!

“I’m hoping to see as much of the Ryder Cup as I can, but we’ve got training right up to Saturday lunch-time so I think Sunday is going to be the day when I’m going to sit down with a couple of friends and watch it on the TV.”