ANDY FARRELL HAS never been afraid to throw fresh faces in at the deep end, and that looks set to continue when the Ireland head coach names his squad for next month’s international series later today.
All eyes will be on the players Farrell selects at hooker, with his options seriously depleted by a string of injuries. Dan Sheehan is unavailable until the New Year as he recovers from an ACL injury, Rónan Kelleher recently had a procedure on an ankle problem, while Ulster pair Rob Herring and Tom Stewart have yet to play this season due to their own injury issues.
The knock-on effect is that a door may be opened for Leinster academy hooker Gus McCarthy.
The 21-year-old only debuted for Leinster last April but has featured four times this season – starting in the wins against Edinburgh, Dragons and Connacht – while also featuring twice for Emerging Ireland.
McCarthy has come through the Irish underage systems – captaining the Ireland U20s to Grand Slam success and a World Cup final in 2023 – and this year he’s seen his progression accelerate due to Leinster’s injury logjam at hooker, with Lee Barron joining Sheehan and Kelleher on the sidelines since the win against Munster at Croke Park.
Yet the Test arena is a different animal and would be a huge step for a player still only new to senior provincial rugby. When asked if McCarthy would be ready to jump into an Ireland camp, Leinster assistant coach Jacques Nienaber backed the former Blackrock College man but added had a word of warning.
“Obviously international rugby is completely different, it’s definitely a level up, it’s just a different game,” Nienaber said.
The space, the time, the consequence of your actions, a lot more, the pressure is more, so that is the next step for him.
“Obviously it would be brilliant if he gets the opportunity from a club point of view, getting exposure to that level.
“It opens up your eyes, you don’t know what it is until you are there and you experience it, then coming back, like all the Emerging Ireland guys, until you get the exposure whether it is Emerging Ireland or Ireland, it’s not Leinster, so if you don’t perform, the country loses, not just the club or the province, it’s the whole country that suffers.
A smart running line from Leinster academy hooker Gus McCarthy.
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) October 22, 2024
Identifies Connacht centre David Hawkshaw retreating into the defensive line after a tackle, goes after the space just outside him. pic.twitter.com/qynrU12SDG
“That pressure is good for them to experience because they can handle bigger pressure when they come back to us.”
Nienaber has also been impressed with Leinster out-half Sam Prendergast, who looks set to continue his rise in next month’s international window.
Prendergast was included in Farrell’s Ireland squad for the summer Test series against the Springboks and started all three games for Emerging Ireland on their tour to South Africa last month.
“If I think of Sam last year, Sam was an academy guy who maybe had one or two caps under their belt, obviously got some exposure last year, trying to bleed him into URC games and then giving him some exposure in European games and then a player develops his craft, his skillset.
“So obviously he got a shot out with the Emerging Ireland team. What I’ve seen with Sam, I think everybody knows that he had a variety of skillsets and a good rugby brain on him and a big skillset. The main thing is that Sam must get experience to be confident playing at that level but also an experience to be confident running a team.”
Towards the of last season Prendergast was presented with an opportunity to join Connacht on loan but turned down the move in order to fight for minutes with his home province.
Nienaber feels the decision was the right one, given it directly pits Prendergast against some of the players competing with him for a place in Ireland squads.
“I think it depends on what your ultimate goal is, if Sam’s is to represent Ireland and be the starting 10, he’s going to have to lift the players in this environment anyway.
“You can go away and try and lift them there, or you can stay here and lift them here and lift them out of your way if that’s your goal.
“I always find it fascinating if players want to leave but they know that their best opposition as regards they are trying to bypass are here in the building.
“I would much rather stay here to see what they are doing and to do get measured daily against them, than don’t know what they doing and how they are developing. If I was a player, I would stay as close to my closest competition as I could.”
I don’t know what JN actually said to ‘back’ Gus; but from the actual quotes in this article it seems to me a more accurate headline would be that he urged caution in selecting him for Ireland (at this stage)
Guess it may be the paywall, and people not seeing Ulster games, but as far as acamady hookers go McCormick would be up there with McCarthy, but hasnt been mentioned by anyone in the comments in other articles. McCarthy started V Edinburgh, Dragons, Connacht, McCormick has started v Bulls (an international quality front row) and Ospreys and was in planet rugbys team of the week. “James McCormick (Ulster): Like the other Ulsterman in our side, McCormick bagged a brace of tries in an otherwise busy shift where he notched up double digital in both carries and tackles.” Its funny how it gets picked up elsewhere but not here.
@Kingshu: Agreed. McCormick surely in contention based on form but perhaps the EI exposure and previous McCarthy has has given him that leg up, certainly in the eyes of the media? Funny how it all gets picked up alright.
@Kingshu: It’s a pity about the paywall. I would love to watch more Ulster games. McCormick is someone who hasn’t been mentioned much by fans or by pundits in Ireland. Has he been injured since the U20s?
@Kingshu: As a Leinster fan I still agree with you about Mc Cormick. I really rated him at Ireland u20 level but injury curtailed his development. However he has really impressed in his last few games and his line-out throwing has been better than Gus’s. Both should be in the squad and then see how they get on.
I’m the biggest Leinster fan going but definitely wary of overhyping Gus Mac at this point. Looks a real talent and certainly seems to have the bit between the ears in terms of composure and maturity, despite the young age. But as Kingshu said McCormick is also going well at Ulster and surely Heffernan et al are ahead. I wouldn’t be Niall Scannell’s biggest fan but he’ll be in contention aswell surely. A safer bet at this point. We might see Gus or McCormick come in in a development capacity which might suit them best at this stage of their careers.
@Carmine Lorenzo: I couldn’t disagree more. In fact I think this is one of the worst comments I have ever had the misfortune to read. I am absolutely hopping mad about it right now… How dare you suggest that you are Leinster’s biggest fan!! I AM!!
@Paul Ennis: Hahahaha I apologise profusely Paul :)
Dave Heffernan with Diarmuid Barron on the bench. I think Barron is better than Scannell, Scannell has some brilliant games at times. Thereafter, there are three younger contenders: Danny Sheahan, Gus McCarthy or James McCormick as backups. These lads have played U20′s rugby and done well, ditto with EI.
@Con Cussed: Barron is a liability at set piece, did you not see the wellies he was throwing up in Croker?
@Thesaltyurchin: Think he just had an off day, like many players on the day. He seemed quite consistent last season. Munster darts are rarely accurate, not so much better for the other provinces. We need good schooling in how to throw however, scrummaging and play around the park is more important.