LEINSTER’S WIN AT Welford Road on Friday night saw Joe and Paddy McCarthy share a pitch for the just the third time in their young rugby careers. Get used to it, because the bulldozing brothers are going to be a fixture together in Leinster and Ireland teams.
Paddy, 22, has been one of the stories of the season, debuting for Ireland in November after coming through an injury-disrupted 2024/25 season. The young loosehead is a punchy ball-carrier, powerful, fearless, and while he’s had a few tough moments in the scrum as he steps fully into senior rugby, there is huge excitement around his potential. And the edges are still being smoothed out. Although he’s now a full Ireland international, Friday was just his 12th cap for Leinster.
Joe, 24, has come through his own breakthrough period and is now a key man for club and country. The lock is on 19 caps for Ireland and is a Test Lion. Yet having missed the November window through injury, his return to the Leinster team over the last two weekends has served as a reminder of just how much he offers.
Joe McCarthy was player of the match in Leicester. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
A niggly night in Leicester proved just the type of contest Joe McCarthy loves. He threw himself into the few scraps that broke out and was aggressive in his contact work. As he collected his player of the match award and did a quick sideline interview, the home crowd attempted to drown him out with a chorus of boss. The mark of a good night’s work for Leinster’s enforcer.
Moments later McCarthy was entering the sparse Welford Road media room, the clatter of his studs on the metal steps prompting Leo Cullen to pause his own post-game interview. McCarthy doesn’t do anything quietly.
“What an entrance,” Cullen laughed.
McCarthy has missed being in the thick of the action, but after finally getting his season up and running by putting back-to-back 80-minute games together across the opening two rounds of the Champions Cup, he’s already making his mark on the season.
“My body feels good, so hopefully that should stand to me,” McCarthy said. “I’m delighted to be back, it’s such a good buzz playing for this team.”
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More of a buzz when your brother is also on the pitch. At one point in the first half Joe found himself in the middle of a melee sparked by a tackle on James Lowe. As soon as a Leicester hand found Joe as a target, Paddy was racing in on the scene.
“Yeah, I think he was coming in shoving a lad off me. He was protecting me!”
Joe wasn’t in the dressing room as Paddy won his first caps with Ireland last month, a foot injury ruling the second row out of the first chunk of the season. An away game against Dragons in November 2023 was their first game as Leinster teammates, but then a pause, longer than either would have anticipated. The two started together against Harlequins on the opening weekend of the Champions Cup season, and kept their places for Friday’s win in Leicester.
“It was cool watching him in November. I loved watching him play there, but it’s been awesome. Had a few nice linkups with him here and there in the first half (against Leicester).
I loved it. It actually really spurs me on. He’s an absolute beast and I love playing with him, he really motivates me to play well.
“He’s on my back in the games, ‘Joe, you’ve got more in you!’ and stuff like that.”
Joe continues to explain that while he’s the older, more experienced of the McCarthy brothers, he watches Paddy’s progress and finds it fuels his own fire.
“It’s mental, he’s not really fazed by anything. I remember ringing him before a few Ireland games, his first cap or something, or playing South Africa, and you could be talking about anything, not rugby, and he’s like, ‘Oh, I’ll just go on, smash a few lads, do a few scrums, I’ll be grand.’
“I’d kind of like to have his mindset sometimes. He’s stepped up and hasn’t been fazed by any levels.
Paddy McCarthy won his first Ireland caps last month. Gary Carr / INPHO
Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO
“He’s really confident in his rugby ability and he usually is quite calm. He takes a lot of pride in his rugby and his prep and everything like that, he loves it.”
Both players came through Trinity College but didn’t cross paths on the rugby pitch. Now teammates at Leinster, the two are on track to be teammates in an Ireland jersey come the Six Nations.
“You’d obviously dream of it as a kid, but you never really talk about it too much because there’s a lot of work to get two players on a team like that,” Joe added.
“It definitely drives me a lot having him there, we talk about rugby, love it, the whole time. We roomed together the night before the game, felt like we were at home. So yeah, it’s great. I absolutely love him, and hopefully we get a few more opportunities now.”
The McCarthys’ parents follow Leinster home and away but weren’t able to make Friday’s game. They’ll get plenty more opportunites to see their boys in action over the coming years.
Cullen was asked what it’s been like to coach the pair together.
“I wasn’t as conscious of Joe when he was in school, but I remember watching Paddy a lot when he was in school,” Cullen said.
Joe interjected: “A bit dusty in school I think, late bloomer.”
“I remember seeing Joe the first time,” Cullen continued.
“I was there ‘Jeez, Joe’s got sexy (powerful) legs now’, my first impression. Listen, the lads are great, great attitude, great mindset, want to come into work, get better every day, and it’s infectious for everybody else.
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'I absolutely love him, he really motivates me' - Joe McCarthy inspired by younger brother Paddy
LEINSTER’S WIN AT Welford Road on Friday night saw Joe and Paddy McCarthy share a pitch for the just the third time in their young rugby careers. Get used to it, because the bulldozing brothers are going to be a fixture together in Leinster and Ireland teams.
Paddy, 22, has been one of the stories of the season, debuting for Ireland in November after coming through an injury-disrupted 2024/25 season. The young loosehead is a punchy ball-carrier, powerful, fearless, and while he’s had a few tough moments in the scrum as he steps fully into senior rugby, there is huge excitement around his potential. And the edges are still being smoothed out. Although he’s now a full Ireland international, Friday was just his 12th cap for Leinster.
Joe, 24, has come through his own breakthrough period and is now a key man for club and country. The lock is on 19 caps for Ireland and is a Test Lion. Yet having missed the November window through injury, his return to the Leinster team over the last two weekends has served as a reminder of just how much he offers.
A niggly night in Leicester proved just the type of contest Joe McCarthy loves. He threw himself into the few scraps that broke out and was aggressive in his contact work. As he collected his player of the match award and did a quick sideline interview, the home crowd attempted to drown him out with a chorus of boss. The mark of a good night’s work for Leinster’s enforcer.
Moments later McCarthy was entering the sparse Welford Road media room, the clatter of his studs on the metal steps prompting Leo Cullen to pause his own post-game interview. McCarthy doesn’t do anything quietly.
“What an entrance,” Cullen laughed.
McCarthy has missed being in the thick of the action, but after finally getting his season up and running by putting back-to-back 80-minute games together across the opening two rounds of the Champions Cup, he’s already making his mark on the season.
“My body feels good, so hopefully that should stand to me,” McCarthy said. “I’m delighted to be back, it’s such a good buzz playing for this team.”
More of a buzz when your brother is also on the pitch. At one point in the first half Joe found himself in the middle of a melee sparked by a tackle on James Lowe. As soon as a Leicester hand found Joe as a target, Paddy was racing in on the scene.
“Yeah, I think he was coming in shoving a lad off me. He was protecting me!”
Joe wasn’t in the dressing room as Paddy won his first caps with Ireland last month, a foot injury ruling the second row out of the first chunk of the season. An away game against Dragons in November 2023 was their first game as Leinster teammates, but then a pause, longer than either would have anticipated. The two started together against Harlequins on the opening weekend of the Champions Cup season, and kept their places for Friday’s win in Leicester.
“It was cool watching him in November. I loved watching him play there, but it’s been awesome. Had a few nice linkups with him here and there in the first half (against Leicester).
“He’s on my back in the games, ‘Joe, you’ve got more in you!’ and stuff like that.”
Joe continues to explain that while he’s the older, more experienced of the McCarthy brothers, he watches Paddy’s progress and finds it fuels his own fire.
“It’s mental, he’s not really fazed by anything. I remember ringing him before a few Ireland games, his first cap or something, or playing South Africa, and you could be talking about anything, not rugby, and he’s like, ‘Oh, I’ll just go on, smash a few lads, do a few scrums, I’ll be grand.’
“I’d kind of like to have his mindset sometimes. He’s stepped up and hasn’t been fazed by any levels.
“He’s really confident in his rugby ability and he usually is quite calm. He takes a lot of pride in his rugby and his prep and everything like that, he loves it.”
Both players came through Trinity College but didn’t cross paths on the rugby pitch. Now teammates at Leinster, the two are on track to be teammates in an Ireland jersey come the Six Nations.
“You’d obviously dream of it as a kid, but you never really talk about it too much because there’s a lot of work to get two players on a team like that,” Joe added.
“It definitely drives me a lot having him there, we talk about rugby, love it, the whole time. We roomed together the night before the game, felt like we were at home. So yeah, it’s great. I absolutely love him, and hopefully we get a few more opportunities now.”
The McCarthys’ parents follow Leinster home and away but weren’t able to make Friday’s game. They’ll get plenty more opportunites to see their boys in action over the coming years.
Cullen was asked what it’s been like to coach the pair together.
“I wasn’t as conscious of Joe when he was in school, but I remember watching Paddy a lot when he was in school,” Cullen said.
Joe interjected: “A bit dusty in school I think, late bloomer.”
“I remember seeing Joe the first time,” Cullen continued.
“I was there ‘Jeez, Joe’s got sexy (powerful) legs now’, my first impression. Listen, the lads are great, great attitude, great mindset, want to come into work, get better every day, and it’s infectious for everybody else.
“It’s great energy the two of them have.”
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Champions Cup CONNECTION Joe McCarthy Leinster Paddy McCarthy Rugby