Leinster’s win away to La Rochelle on Sunday has Gordon D’Arcy reminiscing in his column today about the province’s first Heineken Cup victory on French soil 21 years ago this month, the team that day featuring three young fellas by the name of Brian O’Driscoll, Leo Cullen and, yes, Gordon D’Arcy. That “landmark achievement”, he writes, produced “a shift in mindset” that, in the long run, saw them go on to become European champions.
Can the current Leinster crew go on and do the same? Well, Gordon was impressed with what he saw on Sunday, the victory “built on a foundation of guts as much as technical virtues”, the key now to “sustain that momentum”, Sale Sharks at the RDS on Saturday the next challenge.
John O’Sullivan brings news that Ciarán Frawley looks set to continue as the injured Harry Byrne’s replacement at outhalf, with 20-year-old Sam Prendergast a possible inclusion in the match day 23. A definitive medical evaluation is still awaited, though, on Jack Conan and Tadhg Furlong.
Connacht have their own injury woes, Mack Hansen unlikely to be fit in time for Saturday’s meeting with Saracens, while Steven Kitshoff is hoping for a change in fortunes for Ulster when they host Racing 92, the double World Cup winner suffering three straight defeats since he arrived in Belfast last month. “It’s been a bit of a wake-up call,” he admits, but “I didn’t think I’d walk in and we’d just start winning”.
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Laura Ward has been getting a bit of a wake-up herself the last fortnight by plunging in to an “absolutely Baltic” Loughrea Lake in an effort to heal a calf injury in time for reigning champions Sarsfields’ meeting with Dicksboro in Sunday’s All Ireland camogie final. Has it worked? “The lake was the magic spray ... I’m 100 per cent now for the weekend.” Bottle that water quick.
Also in Gaelic games, Nathan Johns reports on Rory Beggan’s magic right foot heading for a training camp in the United States where he will bid to earn an opportunity to play as a kicker in the NFL. Among those joining the Monaghan man will be Wicklow’s Mark Jackson and former Ireland rugby under-20 international Darragh Leader.
And in horse racing, Brian O’Connor has news of a proposal by the British Horseracing Authority that would limit trainers to just four runners in top cross-channel handicap races. The reaction of Gordon Elliott, who saddled a record 14 runners in last month’s Troytown Chase at Navan, to said proposal? “Lunacy.”
TV Watch: There’s a heap more Champions League action on your tellies today, Manchester City, who have already qualified for the knock-out stages, away to Red Star Belgrade (TNT Sports 2, 5.45), while Newcastle need to beat AC Milan if there are to have any hope of progressing (Virgin Media Two and TNT Sports 1, 8.0). Celtic’s hopes are already over, but they’ll be looking for their first win in their group when they host Feyenoord this evening (TNT Sports 2, 8.0).
