Joe McCarthy is back from injury to help Leinster, and maybe Ireland
BACK FROM INJURY: Joe McCarthy during Leinster rugby squad training at UCD in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Joe McCarthy must have been counting the hours down to 2023. Still only 21 at the time, he wasn’t long off his Ireland senior debut, against Australia the month before, and he’d faced the Maoris in New Zealand that summer.
St Stephen’s Day had been spent toughing out a win against Munster in Thomond Park. It was his first 80-minute shift of the season and he had Leo Cullen’s praise ringing in his ears as the New Year broke dawn.
The Blackrock grad had long been pinpointed as an Irish lock of rare physicality. A specimen, with more than enough about him as a ball player, to stand up to the big beasts that have caused Irish club and national teams too many problems in recent times.
The World Cup was only nine months away. He was poised.
And then he wasn’t. His next appearance was a start against Racing 92 at the end of January but an ankle injury picked up early in the Six Nations needed surgery and he ultimately went four months without a game until a cameo against the Sharks last Saturday.
“I suppose it’s part of the game. It’s very frustrating because you want to be out there and you get an injury in the middle of the season. It’s not really ideal. So, you’ve got to roll with the punches, just kind of crack on.
“I was kind of lucky I was able to get back towards the end of the season and get an opportunity to put my hand up, so I’m grateful for a good team of physios who have been able to get me back to play the last few weeks of the season.”
That isn’t the only glass half-full measure you could take to this. Players who miss a chunk of time this season could view it as a chance to stay fresh ahead of the Big One in France come the autumn, but this doesn’t apply to McCarthy given his fringe status.
He’d prefer to be playing, basically, but there is also the fact that the world kept turning in his absence. Andy Farrell, like Cullen, is a confirmed fan but the head coach used five locks in the Six Nations and will bring only four to France.
Ryan Baird and Tadhg Beirne offer versatility with their interchangeability between the second and back rows but there is the sense of an old head on young shoulders as McCarthy chews on the thought of others kicking on without him.
“Yeah, It’s tough. Usually, I have pretty strong confidence in my ability. Once I get back playing, I’ll be all right as soon as you can gain control. So I’ll go work gym-hard and try to put myself in the best position as possible to perform when I get the chance.”
That 13 minutes against the Sharks last week was a welcome first step back to his future. Another presents itself this weekend when he will be on duty for another, but bigger, interpro engagement with Munster.
McCarthy and assistant coach Andrew Goodman were both in sync this week on the threat the visitors will pose at the breakdown but their own focus rests on the type of physicality that McCarthy will hope to provide.
“Probably the area we are all focusing on is being good around the contact areas. Being really physical in contact around the breakdown.
“Towards the knockout games, that’s where you see those games won and lost. Teams and athletes get bigger so one-v-one contacts are a big focus.”
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