D’Arcy undaunted by busy festive schedule

IT may be Christmas Eve but, with a derby against Ulster on the cards for St Stephen’s Day, Leinster’s players and staff will be clocking in for training today just as they would any other Thursday morning.

Michael Cheika’s side sit top of their pool in the Heineken Cup and third in the Magners League, just a point behind Edinburgh and Glasgow, and will bid to build on their current run of good form on Saturday.

“This is the busy time of our season,” said Gordon D’Arcy. “Like soccer teams, with Magners and Heineken Cup, this is where you put yourself into the mix for top-four finishes and coming out of your group. A lot of teams who do well over Christmas in soccer usually end up doing quite well at the end of the season. We’re no different. We want to win three Magners League games and that keeps us right in the top four before the break for the Heineken Cup and coming into the Six Nations.”