D’Arcy and Wallace the centres of attention in crucial League battle
The Leinster and Ulster centre three-quarters have been brought back to basics by their respective coaches as the battle for Irish, and overall, supremacy continues.
Wallace, who came on as a substitute in Cardiff last weekend and conceded a late penalty to Stephen Jones — missed by the Wales out-half — said he had enjoyed the week but remarked: “It’s time to move on. Yes, it was brilliant winning the Grand Slam, but you cannot indulge yourself for too long.
“Facing Leinster on Sunday will soon make us forget about last week.
“There is work to be done with this Ulster team, and it starts now.”
The midfield partnership on both sides of the fence could certainly be an issue in deciding which way this game goes. D’Arcy is faced with an irregular pairing with Fergus McFadden, while Wallace returns to link up with rising young star Darren Cave.
But if Leinster might appear to have to concede some ground there, they should certainly benefit from the return from injury, of Leo Cullen and the availability of Malcolm O’Kelly.
Cullen has been injured for several weeks, while O’Kelly was sensationally excluded from the national squad for the last two games of the tournament on the basis of what appears to have been a disciplinary matter.
Although successful national captain Brian O’Driscoll won’t be o0n show during the match, the Six Nations Trophy will be on view for the thousands expected to fill the 18,500-capacity stadium.
For Leinster guys like Girvan Dempsey and Shane Horgan, who delighted Irish rugby fans so much in the past but still failed to reach the Holy Grail, it might seem inappropriate to have such a prize dangled in front of them.
But Dempsey, Horgan, O’Kelly et al have new challenges to face. Leinster are in with a shout of retaining the Magners League title and of unsettling Munster by becoming the third Irish province to win the Heineken Cup.
Leinster coach Michael Cheika says the focus will only be on today’s match. His Ulster counterpart, former Leinster and Scotland boss, Matt Williams, is looking forward to the tie. “Leinster have a strong side out. Whether they have their big guns on show or not matters little. They are at their home ground and if we do not turn up and give 100% we will lose.
“We will be underdogs; nobody will give us a chance, but we will go there, throw the kitchen sink at them and see what we can get out of it.”
Cheika is well aware that Williams, not too long ago, said the same before the match with Munster in Thomond Park when Ulster romped to a sensational victory.
Nobody believed him then, but they believe him now, Cheika included.
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