GORDON D’ARCY WANTS to host a retirement party with a difference for former team-mate Felipe Contepomi.
The Argentinian out-half, who won the Heineken Cup with Leinster in 2009, announced last week that he will hang up his boots at the end of the season.
Before the 35-year-old packs it in, he has a chance to go out on a high by helping Stade Francais pick up some European silverware in the Amlin Challenge Cup.
The Parisian giants and Leinster were kept apart when the draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals was made earlier this year.
And with the final being hosted in Contepomi’s old stomping ground the RDS, one last showdown against his former employers would be a fitting finale for one of the game’s top 10s.
“It’s a shame that Felipe is going to retire because he’s such a good talent,” D’Arcy said. “Like everybody we can’t play forever. I think he’ll be sadly missed.
“I sent him a text message when he said he was going to retire so hopefully we’ll catch up before he heads back to Argentina.”
“I think [an Amlin final] would be the best way to say goodbye to him and I think the RDS fans would love to say goodbye to Felipe. I think there’s a few pubs in Dublin that would like to say goodbye to him as well.”
Another of D’Arcy’s out-half colleagues was making the headlines last weekend. Ian Madigan stole the show with all 22 points as Leinster ground out the win against Glasgow that sent them top of the RaboDirect Pro12 table.
With Jonathan Sexton moving to Racing Metro in the summer, Madigan can now stake his claim for a starting spot and D’Arcy says the 23-year-old is doing just that.
“He’s a great guy to play with. We’ve been training and playing with him for years so he’s just getting his chance. I think it’s always the mark of a player when they take that opportunity and he’s certainly doing that.”
Jordi Murphy has been ruled out of Saturday’s inter-pro clash against Ulster with a hand injury that could see him miss up to five weeks, Leinster said today.
Elsewhere the province have a clean bill of health with David Kearney expected to recover from a dislocated finger in time while brother Rob, Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip, Sean O’Brien and Mike Ross could all feature following their return from Six Nations duty.
Leinster hope that Fergus McFadden (rib) will also be available for selection.
