Leinster boost as stars commit to future

Good times for Leinster on and off the pitch.

As Joe Schmidt’s men celebrated passage to another Heineken Cup final, the province received another shot in the arm with confirmation that Gordon D’Arcy, Isa Nacewa and a host of other big-name talent have committed to remaining on the books of the European champions. However Luke Fitzgerald remains a notable exception from the list despite Schmidt last week hinting that the Irish winger was close to finalising a deal.

D’Arcy, who made his Leinster debut in 1998 and has amassed more than 200 appearances for the club, has inked a new international contract that takes him up until 2014 with IRFU chief executive Philip Browne admitting the deal is “another indicator of the successful policy of keeping as many of our top players here so that they can continue to contribute to the success of both Ireland and the provincial teams.”