Rugby: D'Arcy stung by Sir Clive's comments

Gordon D'Arcy has vowed to take full advantage of his late call-up for the British and Irish Lions and rejected the controversial suggestion by Sir Clive Woodward that he had been "too tired" to play for the tourists in the third test against the All Blacks in New Zealand four years ago.

D'Arcy, the Leinster and Ireland centre, started last night's game against the Cheetahs on the bench having arrived in South Africa on Thursday morning from San Francisco, where he was on holiday.

His call-up as cover for Riki Flutey, who has a knee problem, represents one of rugby's remarkable comebacks. The 29-year-old started the season with fears that he might never play again because of a broken forearm that required three bone grafts, and finished it by winning the Grand Slam with Ireland and the Heineken Cup with Leinster.

But while D'Arcy has now set his sights on forcing himself into the test side, his first mission in Bloemfontein on Friday was to defend his reputation as a Lions tourist, four years after Woodward's pronouncement before the third test in New Zealand that the Dubliner had ruled himself out of consideration for the match on the grounds he was too exhausted.

"Put it this way, I have never in my life pulled out of a game of rugby," said D'Arcy, who revealed he had not spoken to Woodward since the incident. "I was a little disappointed how it was channelled in the media but there was nothing I could do about it. I nearly fell over when I heard it.

"I can't tell you what went through his [Woodward's] head or why he said it. All I know is that I didn't pull out from any game.

"It was pretty hurtful but I have had a lot more challenging stuff in my life than one bad press conference and my character is strong enough to prove I can bounce back from it. I have been given a great opportunity by Geech [Ian McGeechan, the Lions coach] and I am not out here to prove anything to anyone.

"I have come out to fill in for certain injuries at the moment but if I carry my form in, you never know what might happen.

"I still have a little candle burning that I can force my way into the test side."