D’Arcy Hits 50 In Heineken Cup For Leinster

Gordon D’Arcy will make his 50th Heineken Cup appearance for Leinster in their quarter final clash with London Wasps.

The Leinster team to face London Wasps in the Heineken Cup Quarter Final in Adams Park on Saturday has been named.

Gordon D’Arcy will make his 50th Heineken Cup appearance for the province in High Wycombe and will be partnered again by Kieran Lewis at centre.

D’Arcy joins the elite 50 club in European Rugby. The most capped European Player is of course Munster’s Anthony Foley but D’Arcy now joins a number of fellow Leinster players who have reached the mark including his Ireland back line colleagues Shane Horgan, Denis Hickie and Girvan Dempsey. Other current Leinster players in the elite 50 include Malcolm O’Kelly and Reggie Corrigan while former Leinster stalwarts Victor Costello, Shane Byrne and Eric Miller are also on the list.

There is a familiar look to the back three with Girvan Dempsey starting at full-back alongside Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan on either wing.

Felipe Contepomi captains the side and resumes his half-back partnership with Chris Whitaker.

In the pack, Jamie Heaslip will make his 50th appearance for the province and is named in a formidable back-row alongside Stephen Keogh and Keith Gleeson.

Reggie Corrigan’s next appearance for Leinster will see him equal fellow Wicklow man Shane Byrne’s record of 135 appearances for the province.

Corrigan is the only change to the panel that defeated Connacht 30-21 last weekend.

The Leinster team in full is:

15: Girvan Dempsey
14: Shane Horgan
13: Kieran Lewis
12: Gordon D’Arcy
11: Denis Hickie
10: Felipe Contepomi CAPTAIN
9: Chris Whitaker

1: Stanley Wright
2: Bernard Jackman
3: Will Green
4: Trevor Hogan
5: Malcolm O’Kelly
6: Stephen Keogh
7: Keith Gleeson
8: Jamie Heaslip

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Brian Blaney
17: Reggie Corrigan
18: Owen Finegan
19: Cameron Jowitt
20: Guy Easterby
21: Christian Warner
22: Rob Kearney