Stalwart Darren Cave ‘honoured’ to captain Ulster side against Leinster in Guinness PRO14 derby

Darren Cave has said he is proud to lead Ulster out on Saturday evening at Kingspan Stadium against Leinster (5:15pm) as the curtain falls on the Guinness PRO14’s regular league season.
By Richard Mulligan
Published 27th Apr 2019, 09:58 BST
Ulster centre Darren Cave who will captain the side against Leinster this evening at Kingspan StadiumUlster centre Darren Cave who will captain the side against Leinster this evening at Kingspan Stadium
Ulster centre Darren Cave who will captain the side against Leinster this evening at Kingspan Stadium

After 13 years with Ulster, international Cave will retire at the end of this season.

On what will be his 227th appearance, Cave has been handed the honour of captaining the side - which he has done previously - in what will be the penultimate home game of the season for Ulster.

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Both Leinster and Ulster are already assured their places in the Guinness PRO14 Final series irrespective of Saturday’s result.

Ulster will entertain Connacht in the semi-final qualifier on Saturday, May 4 and Cave is still hopeful he will be involved in that game.

On captaining the side against Leinster Cave said: “It’ll be pretty cool. I’m still hoping to play in the Connacht game but obviously, I won’t be captain.

“It’s nice that even with Ulster this sort of professional beast now, that it can be recognised that I haven’t had too many opportunities to lead out the team and it’ll be a nice thing for me to do.

“I’ll be very proud to do it.

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“Ultimately it’s an interpro, Kingspan is sold out or close to it and I’ll be looking forward to it. It’ll be an honour.

“Coming up against the old enemy, the history from a month ago, let alone the games in the past years, it’s going to be class. I’m very honoured and very excited.”

That month ago reference is in respect of Ulster’s last meeting with Leinster in a European Champions Cup quarter-final at a packed Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Leinster winning a thrilling contest 21-18.

“After the game I was sure. I don’t know why but it was almost closure in regards to my ability to perform at that level.

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“I haven’t had many opportunities at that level since the World Cup really but I’ve always wholeheartedly believed in my ability to play there. For whatever reason, I wasn’t given the opportunity.

“After Leinster, I think I proved something to a lot of people and that sort of made me think, ‘you know what? It’s time to go’.

“We didn’t win, so it’s not going out the top, but we’re in a good place and it’s going out as close to the top as I could have.”

Related topics:Ulster