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Hugh Farrelly, Irish Independent, 21st August 2006
Irish rugby international Gordon D'Arcy has just returned
from Calcutta, where he worked with GOAL. The profound experience
has given the talented centre a new, more mature outlook on life
as he contemplates the season ahead and next year's World Cup in
France.
It is Friday lunchtime in a busy Donnybrook cafe. The sunny weather
and proximity of the weekend have created a buoyant atmosphere and
the place is jammed with the type of affluent, confident go-getters
one would expect in such an establishment at such an address.
It is a scene one would once have readily associated with Leinster
and Ireland star Gordon D'Arcy yet, today, he cuts a rather incongruous
figure as he sits, unnoticed, playing with his phone in the corner.
His khaki shorts, sandals, tousled hair and 'save the whales' bandana
seem at odds with the suits and suave skirts surrounding him.
The two careers of Gordon D'Arcy have been well documented. The
first, from 1998 to 2003, tells the tale of a hugely talented youngster
who got caught up in the excitement of a professional career and
came to typify the pantomime excesses of the much-mocked Leinster
boys.
There was a well-known fondness for nights out and an unfortunate
photo-shoot in which he showed off a pair of boots with the legends
'South' and 'Side' on the tongues.
That period of D'Arcy's career could be filed in the unfulfilled
potential section of Ireland's rugby archives.
The sequel, charting D'Arcy's progress from 2004 to the present
day, is a different affair. It tells of a change in attitude and
of position, an international breakthrough (five years after his
first cap) which brought the accolade of 2004 Player of the Six
Nations and, Lions and injury hiccups notwithstanding, a gradual
international acceptance of his status as one of rugby's most complete
midfielders.
D'Arcy has made time for this meeting in between a check-up on
his troublesome shoulder (which led to an operation a few days later
ruling him out of action until October) and a punishing pre-season
training schedule with Leinster which involves much running up and
down the rather daunting, if picturesque, slopes of Killiney Hill.
But D'Arcy has a message to get across, one about which he is passionate.
He has just come back from a trip to India, raising awareness for
the work of Irish charity GOAL in the slums of Calcutta, one of
the world's most poverty-afflicted cities.
Now 26, as he talks about his experiences, one is struck by the
air of calm maturity D'Arcy has assumed, a far cry from the cocky
youngster who was living it up a few years ago.
When he left school in the late 1990s and began playing for Leinster,
D'Arcy was swiftly caught up in the charity whirlwind that is John
O'Shea.
"I had heard of GOAL when I was in school, but didn't know
who John O'Shea was. Then, when I left school and started playing
for Leinster, I was literally attacked by this crazy man who told
me I was doing something for the charity the next day, and I have
been involved since.
"Mostly, all I've been able to do is donate jerseys or do
photo-ops or whatever, but when John said there was a chance to
go out to India, I jumped at the chance to help."
However, the reality of life in Calcutta was a severe shock to
the Wexfordman.
"The GOAL trip was a perfect opportunity to help out in a
hands-on manner and get away from rugby and, believe me, you cannot
get further away from rugby than the slums of Calcutta.
"Calcutta is pretty horrific, it's eye-stopping. Eighty per
cent of the roads are clogged with huts inhabited by people with
nothing to do. The fortunate ones might have a stall outside their
hut selling food or trinkets or whatever, the rest just sit around
in the squalor.
"They migrate from the country and end up living in these
slums. You are talking about a city the same size as Dublin except
it has a population of 14.5 million. People just sit around living
out their days.
"GOAL doesn't want to just come in and do handouts or take
over the entire operation. What they do is provide the know-how
and support so people can help themselves.
"The Loreto nuns in Calcutta run a halfway house for children
who have lost their parents or been abandoned by parents who basically
couldn't be bothered looking after them. The kids come in for the
day, they are given uniforms, washed and then go to classes but
at the end of the day they have to go back onto the streets, many
would sleep by the train tracks.
"There are a couple of really strong memories. One was after
the monsoon, and I'm not talking an Irish-type heavy rainfall, this
was incredible. Before you knew it, there was two feet of water
flowing down the street and the kids were straight into it.
"You're talking about a place where there are a couple of
million people going to the toilet by the side of the road which
creates a pretty terrible sewerage situation. So, when the rains
come, you've got kids prancing around in this disgusting water full
of faeces and general filth and they're pouring it over their heads
because water is so precious to them."
The other stand-out memory for D'Arcy was a trip to Calcutta's
notorious red light district.
"You turn onto this narrow street and there are literally
300 prostitutes on each side of the street, dressed in traditional
Indian dress, although some are in European clothes and there are
girls as young as 13 or 14.
A lot of them are second or third generation prostitutes, girls
who would have been born into the trade and would have been under
the bed when their mothers were working. GOAL are involved in a
halfway house to try and break this cycle so the next generation
will avoid this way of life.
"We toured around the various projects GOAL are involved in
out there and the welcome we got was unbelievable. They were the
most beautiful kids and, considering the lives they were used to,
the joy they took from such a simple thing as kicking a rugby ball
around was amazing."
The trip has had a profound effect on D'Arcy and has altered the
way he views his own life.
"I have started to appreciate what I have here. We are incredibly
fortunate to be born in Ireland.
"You often see people come back from these trips and they're
suddenly up in arms asking 'how can people live in this luxury when
there is so much poverty elsewhere?' but that approach achieves
nothing.
"I think it's better to go away and absorb the experience
and, when you come back, try and make a difference"
Once he recovers from his shoulder operation, which is not expected
to cause lasting complications and has been described as a (tm)clean-ups
procedure, D'Arcy faces a relentless run of rugby up until the World
Cup in France in the autumn of 2007. Given the arduous nature of
the season just gone, is he worried about fatigue?
No, I love this job. It is pretty much non-stop from here until
the World Cup, but there will be the odd week off and weekends when
we have no games and it is important to use that time to escape
from rugby.
"I use live music as my escape. I love going to gigs in the
evenings and checking out new bands. It is important to keep the
mind occupied, it can't just be rugby, rugby all the time and I'm
also doing a degree in Quantity Surveying in DIT which I really
enjoy."
Although ultimately coming asunder against Munster in the Heineken
Cup semi-final, Leinster made considerable progress last season
under the Australian coaching duo of Michael Cheika and David Knox
and D'Arcy feels very optimistic about the province's future.
"We have made some very good signings, Chris Whitaker is an
excellent scrum-half and the two Munster lads, Stephen Keogh and
Trevor Hogan, look like great additions.
"I had spoken to Paul O'Connell about them and he was singing
their praises. They've already shown a great work ethic which is
good to see."
Leinster also signed another forward with a view to beefing up
their pack, but many observers thought the signing of Owen Finegan
was taking the Aussie connection too far. One of the most uncompromising
backrows in world rugby at his peak, Finegan arrives after a very
poor season with Newcastle and, to many, typifies the travelling
mercenary whose best years are behind him.
D'Arcy disagrees.
"I know people were saying Owen Finegan was only coming here
to build up his retirement fund, but his attitude has been spot-on.
We are trying to build our squad up and to turn down a player of
Owen's experience and ability would have been incredibly stupid.
"I'm very excited about the youngsters in the squad too. Robert
Kearney, Jamie Heaslip and Brian Blaney all have big futures and
the defeat to Munster, although it was awful at the time, was character
building and will stand to this team."
There have been various theories put forward in the exhaustive
post-mortem to that game and one was that Argentinian playmaker
Felipe Contepomi was targeted and the out-half's game imploded following
some concerted verbal intimidation.
"I don't buy the verbal stuff," insists D'Arcy. "Felipe
didn't have the best game but I think it was more the referee frustrating
him, I think he was amazed at some of the ref's decisions, we all
were.
"Straight after the match it was too raw to hang out with
the Munster lads, who would be good mates. You shake their hands
and say 'well done' but then go your separate ways.
"You can't go out and have a laugh after a loss like that,
I would be disappointed if players did. You've got to take the lesson
on board, and we have, we didn't perform and we paid the price."
After a difficult Lions tour which saw him remove himself from
the third test and, with his confidence seemingly never lower, D'Arcy's
career could have gone into freefall. However, while perhaps not
getting the space for the searing breaks that made such an impact
in 2004, D'Arcy's form last season was exceptional, and characterised
by a new tigerishness in defence.
"Yeah, I was pretty happy with the way it worked out. It was
always going to be a massive season for me after what happened with
the Lions. I had the problem with the shoulder too and (Ireland
coach) Eddie O'Sullivan sat me down and set it out for me.
"He explained the 'Lions syndrome', the hangover effect that
hits players when they come back. He said I had had a bad tour and
that I could easily disappear off the map and that I had to be strong.
"Leinster played a game against Bourgoin early enough in the
season and I could feel the confidence returning. Then the autumn
tests went well for me, even though the results weren't great, and
I was happy enough with my
Six Nations form and on the summer tour also.
"I miss the space I had a couple of seasons ago. There's so
much analysis these days and the defensive aspect has gone way up.
There are very little clean breaks. But myself and Brian (O'Driscoll)
have a good system, we work well in defence together and I'm good
in traffic, making the half-breaks and offloading, and if you give
Brian a hint of space, he's under the posts."
Who's faster?
"Me of course" he laughs. "In fairness, there's
nothing in it. We've been doing sprints in training and it's neck-and-neck.
Brian is probably quicker over the initial 10 yards but I'd reel
him in."
D'Arcy speaks highly of O'Sullivan, the most successful coach
in Ireland's history, so how does he explain the Youghal man's negative
image with much of the press and the rugby public?
"I don't know, Eddie gets the job done. I suppose he might
have been seen as guarded and that can annoy people. I can only
speak for myself and Eddie has been brilliant with me. He always
lets you know exactly what he wants and talks everything through,
even his joking and banter have improved over the years, it was
pretty ropey at the start."
On the cusp of the World Cup season, D'Arcy's shoulder problems
may seem like atrocious timing, however, professional rugby has
taught us that injuries, while never desirable, can sometimes prove
a godsend. D'Arcy will return in October refreshed and ravenous
for rugby ... an enthusiasm that can propel him all the way to the
World Cup.
And, away from physical practicalities, experiences like his recent
expedition to India seem to have exorcised D'Arcy's demons and created
a maturity and sense of reflection that can only be good for D'Arcy
and Irish rugby.
"Calcutta has made me take stock. It's important not to lose
your head and believe you are bigger than you are. I mean, essentially,
all I do is chase a funny shaped ball for a living. That's all."
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