MAGNERS LEAGUE Ulster v Leinster: THE RETURN of Gordon D'Arcy has been celebrated by all true Leinster and Ireland supporters over this festive week, but such utterings have been followed by the same question - which position will the 28-year-old, 37-times capped international centre play now that coach Michael Cheika has settled for either Felipe Contepomi or Luke Fitzgerald as Brian O'Driscoll's midfield foil?
The answer - for the time being - is a return to his old stomping ground on the right wing, where D'Arcy first made an impact in the professional game almost 10 years ago. Shane Horgan and Fitzgerald may have something to say about that before the make-or-break European battle against Wasps at Twickenham on January 17th.
For now at least, D'Arcy's primary task is to regain match fitness after a 10-month lay-off since that troublesome arm fracture sustained against Italy in the Six Nations.
Horgan and O'Driscoll are "rested" for this evening's journey to Belfast to face an Ulster side that genuinely seems to be finding a rhythm under Matt Williams.
Both - along with CJ van der Linde (calf) and Shane Jennings (knock) - are expected to return against Connacht at the RDS Showgrounds on January 2nd, but for now Cheika has gone for Contepomi at inside centre, with Fitzgerald in his most natural position outside the Argentine.
Isa Nacewa has done enough in recent A fixtures, after another injury-enforced absence, to be included at outhalf ahead of the home-grown Jonathan Sexton. If Nacewa and Contepomi combine to create space for Fitzgerald and the wingers, then they will in all likelihood become the permanent 10, 12 option to the season's end.
Presuming O'Driscoll's selection remains guaranteed, that leaves four internationals scrapping for two wing spots, with Rob Kearney also retaining aspirations of succeeding Girvan Dempsey at fullback.
It's certainly won't be a boring environment in Leinster-land come 2009.
Other alterations see Trevor Hogan preferred ahead of Mal O'Kelly at lock alongside Devon Toner, who continues his professional education at Ravenhill, while captain Leo Cullen continues rehabilitation from a shoulder operation. Be sure Toner's 6ft 10in frame makes him a primary target for the Ulster pack, particularly at the lineout.
Cian Healy remains at loosehead prop as resident Springbok van der Linde continues to struggle for fitness, while John Fogarty sees off Brian Blaney to replace the injured Bernard Jackman at hooker.
Ulster have problems of their own, with Ryan Caldwell, Simon Danielli, Cillian Willis and Carlo del Fava confined to the physio table, although impressive Fijian winger Timoci Nagusa returns after missing the back-to-back encounters with the Llanelli Scarlets.
Darren Cave, in direct opposition to Fitzgerald, provides an obvious showdown of Irish rugby's next generation of three-quarter talent.
Ian Humphreys must surely see an opportunity here to jump the outhalf queue, while the same can be said for Stephen Ferris and David Pollock in the highly competitive backrow department. This battle will also tell us more about teak-tough Tullow flanker Seán O'Brien.
The Magners League is all that matters to Ulster now. They are a point adrift of Leinster, so their nightmare start to the season must be atoned for here and now.
Having said that, Leinster usually clean out the next opposition after a poor display. Defeat to Castres was just that, and Cheika didn't feel the need to make excuses.
"I was pretty devastated afterwards," he admitted. "Not from losing as much as letting down the people who went down for the trip. We really should have played better. Even if we didn't have a brilliant game, we should have in the close battle taken that extra little bit and won the game. We've got to make sure that adds to our character the next time we are in that situation.
"If we have to use some of the criticism that we have taken as fuel for that, we'll do that. We want to be a better team every time we play. The next time we go out in a Leinster jersey we're going to be a better team for sure."
This here is the next time, so expectations are of nothing short of victory, despite Matty Williams surely having some tricks up his sleeve against his former charges.
For Leinster, this match is not about correcting their lack of consistency, it is an interprovincial, so many of the rules and statistics go out the window, with trench warfare the expected order of the day.
LEINSTER: G Dempsey; G D'Arcy, L Fitzgerald, F Contepomi, R Kearney; I Nacewa, C Whitaker (capt); C Healy, J Fogarty, S Wright; T Hogan, D Toner; R Elsom, S O'Brien, J Heaslip. Replacements(from): B Blaney, R McCormack, M O'Kelly, S Keogh, C Jowitt, C Keane, J Sexton, S Keogh.
ULSTER: B Cunningham; T Nagusa, D Cave, P Wallace, A Trimble; I Humphreys, I Boss; J Fitzpatrick, R Best, B Botha; E O'Donoghue, M McCullough; S Ferris, D Pollock, R Diack. Replacements: N Brady, T Court, T Anderson, K Dawson, P Marshall, P Steinmetz, C Schifcofske.
Referee: George Clancy(IRFU).
Last meeting: Leinster 29 Ulster 0, RDS, December 26th, 2007.
Verdict: Leinster win.
