Unlike BOD, Gordon D'Arcy needs to shine at Rodney Parade for Leinster

The Guinness Pro12 champions travel to Newport Gwent Dragons on Sunday afternoon (kick-off 4.15pm) in desperate need of victory to keep the heat on the teams above them in the playoffs.

They face the European champions in Marseille a week on Saturday but cannot afford to drop points against Lyn Jones' men, who are chasing a double after a first ever win in Dublin back in February.

And D'Arcy needs to put in a big performance as he attempts to ensure the final days of his glorious career are not spent on the bench in big encounters.

The 35-year-old has lost out to Robbie Henshaw and Jared Payne on the Test scene while last weekend he saw Ian Madigan and Ben Te'o paired in Leinster's tense win against Bath at the Aviva Stadium.

His old partner in crime Brian O'Driscoll ventured to Newport just twice – in 2004 and 2008 – but D'Arcy needs to shine at Rodney Parade to force his way back into the fold.

"It is like being a young lad again. You've got to play your best game and then leave it up to the coaches after that," he said.

"I've got to put myself in there. I've just got to be as good as I can be and I'll be fresh if I do get a run."

"When you get on the pitch, even if it's off the bench, if that's my role, that's my role," he continued.

"I will do whatever is best for Leinster to try and win silverware. If that has to be what it is for now and it leads into something great in the autumn (at the World Cup), that's fantastic.

"All I can worry about is the next game. It is on Sunday. That's all I can control."

Leinster, who travel to title rivals Ulster in after their Toulon date, are expecting to be without wing Fergus McFadden for the Dragons game after he suffered a blow to the head against Bath while lock Kane Douglas is definitely out with a back injury.

Matt O'Connor must decide how many of his stars he leaves behind in Dublin ahead of their trip to the Stade Velodrome.