Gordon D'Arcy is still on the right side of the match count against Toulouse in the Heineken Cup, but knows his sixth European battle against them in this weekend's semi-finals is going to be tougher than any of the previous battles.
And one of the main reasons D'Arcy and fellow centre legend Brian O'Driscoll know it is going to be a tough day at the office is because they will be going head-to-head with an old adversary, Yannick Jauzion. The Toulouse centre is one-up on his old rivals already this season having scored a try in the Grand Slam champions' 33-10 win over Ireland at Stade de France.
Not it is payback time for the Irish duo as they seek to keep Leinster on course for a successful defence of their Heineken Cup crown.
"Having come up against Yannick Jauzion many times over the years I know his game inside out, but that doesn't mean that I won't be doing notes on him over the coming week," said D'Arcy.
"I love challenging myself against the best players in the world and in my eyes he's one of the best 12's in Europe - if not the world. He's a real fulcrum for them and it's like what Brian O'Driscoll and Leo Cullen talk about when they say that we should look to win our individual battles.
"It's no coincidence that the top teams in every country dictate how the national team plays and Toulouse have had the lions' share of the French team over the last few years.
"You know that coming up against them you can't switch off.
"We feel as though we have a good defence, a good scramble and a good work ethic but if you aspire to win a knock-out tournament you've got to improve every game.
"To win in Toulouse takes total commitment from the first to the last minute. When we won the quarter-final in 2006 the passion that we showed that day meant that they stood off us.
"Any team playing at home will always fancy themselves, but if they have any doubts at all, then brilliant. We'll just have to try to keep cracking them.
"I believe that there's a healthy respect between the two sides. Semi-finals are the business end of the season and the four teams that are left mightn't be the four best teams but they have gotten there because they displayed the greater resilience, team spirit and belief."
GORDON D'ARCY
(b. 10/02/80; 48 Irish caps, 5 Test tries; B&I Lions tours 2005, 2009)
Heineken Cup Debut: Scarlets 27, Leinster 33 - Stradey Park, 19/09/98
Heineken Cup Appearances: 68 (62 + 6) for Leinster
Heineken Cup Points: 135 (23 tries; 1 con; 4 pens; 2 drops)
Heineken Cup Finals: 2009 - Leinster 19, Leicester 16
Heineken Cup Semi-Finals:
27/04/03 Leinster 14, Perpignan 21 (Lansdowne Road)
23/04/06 Leinster 6, Munster 30 (Lansdowne Road)
02/05/09 Munster 6, Leinster 25 (Croke Park) Try
Record v Toulouse: P5 W3 L2
HEINEKEN CUP HEAD-TO-HEAD
TOULOUSE v LEINSTER
Played 7 Toulouse 4 Leinster 3
Biggest Toulouse win 43-7 (2001/02, home)
Biggest Leinster win 40-10 (2001/02, home)
HEINEKEN CUP SEMI-FINAL APPEARANCES
TOULOUSE
Played 8 Won 5 Lost 3
Biggest semi-final win 30-3 (1995/96 v Swansea, Les Sept Deniers)
Biggest semi-final defeat 37-11 (1996/97 v Leicester, Welford Road
LEINSTER
Played 4 Won 1 Lost 3
Biggest semi-final win 25-6 (2008/09 v Munster, Croke Park)
Biggest semi-final defeat 30-6 (2005/06 v Munster at Lansdowne Road)
