LEINSTER LOCK JOE McCarthy has enjoyed a remarkable rise over the last couple of seasons and on a wet and windy night at Thomond Park earlier this week, he delivered the type of performance which highlights just why he can be a key player for club and country in the years ahead.
The 6’6″, 120kg McCarthy is a powerful, athletic second row and in testing conditions on Tuesday night, he rose to the occasion with a commanding display which helped drive his team to a 9-3 victory.
At 22, McCarthy was the youngest player in Leinster’s starting XV but he led by example throughout; winning penalties, bringing an edge to his defensive work and making himself a nuisance at the breakdown.
With the 2024 Six Nations looming, it was a hugely encouraging 80-minute shift from a player who already has five Ireland caps to his name.
“Joe is getting better all the time, but he works unbelievably hard at his game, all aspects of his game,” said Leinster head coach Leo Cullen.
“He is a great guy to work with generally. He is improving his game all the time, so he’s still what, 22 years of age… He’s going good. It’s his type of game as well, isn’t it? In the trenches, which he loves, making a nuisance of himself!”
As McCarthy admitted himself, it was the type of night made for him. With the rain pelting down in Limerick, he enjoyed a good battle with Munster’s own rising second row star, Edwin Edogbo, who was having another strong outing before being struck down with an Achilles injury.
McCarthy was central to a strong performance from the Leinster pack as they dug in to grind out the result, their endeavours supplemented by camoes from Dan Sheehan, Jason Jenkins, Ryan Baird and Will Connors off the bench.
“They’re probably the most satisfying games (to win),” McCarthy said.
“It’s always weird playing a game around Christmas, you’re kind of relieved to get the win after travelling down. It’s really satisfying just grinding out a win like that, 9-3. It’s always tight between Munster and us, the last few games have been one-score games so we knew it was going to be tight.
I kind of enjoy it to be honest. I don’t mind scrumming and mauling all day, it probably suits my strengths.
“I think everyone was embracing it. We’ve had wins like this in tough conditions already so it was satisfying.
“The conditions were extremely tough. It was keep it tight, a lot of kicking and chasing balls for a lot of the day. Very tough to play in but I thought we adapted well and it was good to get out on the right side of that.”
It’s early days yet, but McCarthy is already benefiting from working with Jacques Nienaber, who joined the province after guiding South Africa to back-to-back World Cup titles.
Leinster’s new defence coach has impressed the squad with his attention to detail and ability to set the emotional tone before games.
“He’s been class,” McCarthy continued.
“He’s added a new layer to our defence. I think you saw that our defence looks very good, aggressive and we’re proper going after teams, so it’s been super enjoyable working with him. He brings great energy and sets the mindset for the group. He’s had a massive impact and no tries (conceded) today, so he’ll be happy enough.”
Nienaber’s influence was all over Leinster performance as they came out on the right side of a tight game for the second time this month – the win in Limerick coming two weeks after a hard-fought victory away to La Rochelle.
“It felt like a mature performance,” McCarthy added.
“In the big games it’s about closing it out so it’s hugely satisfying from a team perspective that we were able to play a different side of the game to what you might do on a nice day. It’s very satisfying that we just kind of found a way to win in tough conditions.
“Every week I’m trying to get better. I’m still very young, I feel like I’ve loads to still improve on. I’ve been lucky I’ve got a few games in a row and that’s how you get better, playing loads of rugby.
“I’m loving playing at the moment so hopefully I can keep playing as much as I can.”
