"I'm glad that I will be able to get rid of the one cap wonder tag." Gordon D'Arcy smiles as he walks back to the dressing-rooms under the West Stand at Lansdowne Road having accommodated the media clamour for an interview.

On Sunday at Lansdowne D'Arcy will be able to consign the 18-minute cameo that represented his first cap as a 19-year-old - he replaced Conor O'Shea during the 1999 World Cup match against Romania - to a historical footnote.

Now 21, Leinster's left wing has been provided with another opportunity.

While he owes his place to the unavailability of first choice wings Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan, he has earned the opportunity with his performances for Leinster this season - well, except maybe his last outing against Newport in the European Cup at Rodney Parade.

Ireland coach Warren Gatland made reference to it at the press conference to announce the Ireland team on Wednesday.

"He (D'Arcy) played well for Leinster early on, but probably didn't have one of his better games against Newport last week. He'll admit that, but I don't think that his selection should be judged on one relatively poor performance.

"He's being judged on his consistency over the season and he's been one of the best wingers in the country."

D'Arcy is refreshingly candid: "I would have to say that it was one of my worst performances this year."

A difficult night has left no mental scares, just a resolution to learn from the experience.

While preferring the full back role, D'Arcy has acquitted himself more capably this season on the wing, and the impatience of youth has been replaced by mature acquiescence.

"I'm really enjoying playing on the wing. Matt Williams (Leinster coach) reassures me every couple

of months, pointing out that I am 21 and if I look at the experience I have packed in - I have 35 caps for Leinster already - it will stand to me later. In a year or two, he maintains that I can make a brilliant full back having learned my trade on the wing or in other positions.

"If you look at some of the best players in the world they are able to switch positions. Christian Cullen has played centre, wing and full back for New Zealand.

"In France there is Xavier Garbajosa who has played in virtually every position in the backline. That's a skill in itself."

D'Arcy has benefited from the inaugural season of the Celtic League competition, which gave him the invaluable experience of playing against top quality wingers.

"A lot of the opposition in the Celtic League are excellent players and I have come up against some of the best wingers around. The only way to improve is to play against people who are as good as you or better. If you do that week in week out then you should improve.

"In years gone by with Leinster you'd have a couple of interprovincials and you'd know the wings that you are playing against and they'd know you.

"Through Matt (Williams) and Alan Gaffney I have developed as a winger. Last season I was a bit shaky in terms of my defensive positioning and my angles. Even at the start of the season, my angles were a bit awry, but it was something that I was able to overcome quickly. My kicking is something that I no longer have to worry about."

D'Arcy relishes the opportunity of playing with Geordan Murphy and Jeremy Staunton in Ireland's back three on Sunday.

"Geordan is a super player. He has those little touches like Brian (O'Driscoll) that set him apart from other players. I played with Jeremy (Staunton) right the way through from Irish Under 19s to 21s. You get to know things about other rugby players, like when he's going to pass and when he's going to dummy, and I would have that understanding with Jeremy."

He points out that the Samoans will offer a very physical challenge, that they like to get the ball wide and run loops off their second centre. The prospect of an open game in which there is plenty of broken play that brings a smile to his face.

"Running from broken play is one of my strengths."

He should confirm this on Sunday.