IT DIDN’T COME as any major surprise that the Irish second row pair of Tom Ahern and Joe McCarthy looked so good in a 54-7 win against opposition as poor as the Griquas.
We knew well before this Emerging Ireland tour that Ahern and McCarthy have potential to stand out on stages that are in a different stratosphere to the Toyota Challenge in Bloemfontein.
But you can only beat what’s put in front of you. 22-year-old Munster man Ahern and 21-year-old Leinster lock McCarthy have been exciting prospects for a while now.
Waterford native Ahern was brilliant for the Ireland U20s back in 2020, showing the startling athleticism and skill level that hints at his past as a fullback or wing. He advanced into the Munster set-up and initially had challenges adapting to the rigours of senior professional rugby but has looked ready to explode for a couple of years now.
Indeed, it has felt like Munster have possibly held him back a little too much at times. Ahern was excellent whenever he played last season. This feels like it will be a big season for him.
McCarthy was on Ireland’s tour of New Zealand during the summer but missed out on a first senior cap. He did play in the midweek games against the Māori All Blacks and enhanced his standing with Andy Farrell and his coaching staff with his efforts in training.
McCarthy played for the Ireland U20s in 2020 too but wasn’t a starter at that stage and then had a big injury thereafter. He missed lots of rugby but put that time to excellent use as he added size and power to his already big frame.
It was the beginning of this calendar year when McCarthy started to make an impact at senior level for Leinster, debuting in January against Cardiff and rapidly improving with each of the 12 appearances he racked up, including three in the Champions Cup.
He took to pro rugby like a duck to water, bringing solid work in the set-piece as well as obvious dynamism in the loose. Ireland couldn’t ignore him and he was soon in training with Farrell’s squad. A Test debut looks certain sooner rather than later.
So it was obvious that McCarthy and Ahern would be among those best placed to excel with Emerging Ireland on their tour of South Africa. That’s exactly what they did in today’s big win over the Griquas.
Ahern started in standout fashion when he folded his 6ft 9ins frame over a breakdown to come up with a clean turnover as Ireland defended in their own half.
There aren’t many jackal threats as tall as him but Ahern is uniquely agile and mobile, of course. He had another excellent breakdown steal later in the first half.
The 6ft 6ins McCarthy also got in on the breakdown act soon before half-time, earning a turnover that allowed Easterby’s team to march downfield and score at the other end.
Ahern has undoubtedly the turnover king as he added in an excellent lineout steal five metres out from the Irish tryline at one stage, making a good read towards the front and then displaying his athleticism with a big spring to get up and bat the ball back on his team’s side.
The Irish lock pair’s energy was evident in the carry and tackle throughout too, while they shoved hard at scrum time, although both had brief moments in attack that left them frustrated.
Ahern was sent bursting through the defence by a clever Max Deegan inside pass at one stage, but he then attempted an offload in the Griquas 22 and knocked the ball on in the process.
In the first half, McCarthy could have passed out to an overlap on the left but opted to carry himself. Emerging Ireland did, however, score a few phases later as the impressive Scott Penny tipped a sharp pass on for Josh Wycherley to score.
McCarthy looks explosive in virtually every action on the pitch and while he is more of a traditional tighthead lock than the lankier Ahern, he also possesses great mobility and relatively good speed. He also went the full 80 minutes at altitude this afternoon.
It was Ahern who took on the lineout calling duties and he did well in that regard, with the Irish set-piece running smoothly, particularly when taking into account that this group hasn’t even been together for a week and had to travel to South Africa during that time. A first-half maul try finished by Scott Penny was slick.
Ahern made way for Leinster’s Brian Deeny heading towards the final quarter as the scoreline started to open up, with lots of his good work laying the foundation for what followed.
Forwards coach Paul O’Connell can be pleased with how this pack came together against a dire Griquas side. Ahern and McCarthy are two players who should benefit hugely from working with O’Connell close-up for two weeks and they were at the heart of a good outing today.
