D'Arcy and O'Kelly to face Scarlets

RUGBY:GORDON D'ARCY and Malcolm O'Kelly have been released by Ireland coach Declan Kidney to play for Leinster in their Magners League match against the Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday. The pair were introduced from the bench during Sunday's Six Nations Championship match against Italy at the Stadio Flaminio.

Kidney is expected to release all seven Irish replacements from that Rome match to their respective provinces for this weekend’s Magners fare and in the case of Leicester Tigers fullback Geordan Murphy a Guinness Premiership match against the Worcester Warriors at Welford Road on Saturday.

It’s a sensible decision based on the requirement of players being match sharp ahead of Saturday week’s Six Nations game against England at Croke Park.

The England players will have this weekend off in accordance with an agreement drawn up between the RFU and the Guinness Premiership clubs.

Ireland come together in Cork tonight to begin their preparations for the England game with some team meetings and video analysis before training tomorrow.

Kidney’s decision means that Munster, currently on warm-weather training week in Lanzarote – they return tomorrow – will be able to call upon Peter Stringer and Denis Leamy as well as Keith Earls, the latter sidelined since suffering the dead leg that has ruled him out of the Six Nations to date.

Ulster coach Matt Williams could avail of the services of hooker Rory Best and Ireland’s latest debutant prop Tom Court, who came on to win his first cap against Italy. Munster are expected to announce a squad for their game against Edinburgh at Musgrave Park on Saturday night today, while Ulster, who travel to the Dragons for a Sunday fixture, are due to hold a press conference tomorrow.

Connacht are also in Wales on Sunday, where they oppose the Ospreys, for whom Samoa captain Filipo Levi will make his full debut after arriving from Japan over the weekend. He had a run out against a Dragons team in a development game on Monday but is expected to start against the Irish province.

Leinster coach Michael Cheika announced a 25-man squad for the Scarlets game that includes Cian Healy, Seán O’Brien and Jonathan Sexton, all of whom impressed for Ireland during last Friday’s A international victory over Scotland at Donnybrook.

Shane Jennings, who withdrew on the morning of the Ireland A game, is named in the Leinster squad that will be without scrumhalf Chris Whitaker, prop CJ van der Linde, hooker Bernard Jackman and Leo Cullen. There is no Chris Keane, Cheika instead electing to include the versatile Simon Keogh and Ireland Under 20 Grand Slam winner Paul O’Donohoe; they will vie for the number nine jersey.

Quite apart from D’Arcy and O’Kelly there is a backbone of international experience in the shape of Girvan Dempsey, Shane Horgan, Felipe Contepomi and Rocky Elsom.

Leinster defence coach Kurt McQuilkin doesn’t underestimate the size of the task facing the Irish province. “It’s a test that we’re going to have to face with great intensity.They’re a side that likes to play in your face. They come at you and have threats all over the park. Regan King is dangerous and their back three are very sharp. Simon Easterby brings great experience up front and is a proven international player, so we will need to be positive against them.”

LEINSTER SQUAD: C Healy, R McCormack, B Blaney, J Fogarty, S Knoop, S Wright, T Hogan, C Jowitt, M O’Kelly, D Toner, R Elsom, K McLaughlin, S Jennings, S O’Brien, S Keogh, S Keogh, P O’Donohoe, I Nacewa, J Sexton, G Brown, F Contepomi, G D’Arcy, F McFadden, S Horgan, G Dempsey.