Ireland's ambition to be world's best is driving force believes McCarthy

DRIVING FORCE: Pic: Paddy McCarthy believes ambition to be the world’s best is the driving force behind his team’s progress to this evening’s World Rugby Under-20 Championship final. ©INPHO/SteveHaagSports/Darren Stewart

Ireland prop Paddy McCarthy believes ambition to be the world’s best is the driving force behind his team’s progress to this evening’s World Rugby Under-20 Championship final.

The Irish U20s face Six Nations rivals France at Cape Town’s Athlone Stadium (6pm Irish time kick-off) in just the fourth all-Northern Hemisphere in the history of the under-age showpiece and have overcome adversity on and off the pitch in the last three weeks to put themselves in position to become the first Ireland side to win the title.

Richie Murphy’s squad was forced to negotiate the pool campaign and semi-final win over hosts South Africa with players affected by the tragic deaths of St Michael's College students Andrew O'Donnell and Max Wall, and then the loss of Munster academy coach Greig Oliver, father of Ireland U20 scrum-half Jack, who died in a tragic paragliding accident in Cape Town, where had been supporting the team along with many other parents.

Yet Ireland have also had to show resilience on the field this season, edging their Six Nations clash with the French in Cork with a late Sam Prendergast penalty and then overcoming an English rally to secure the Grand Slam three games later, also at Musgrave Park. Last Sunday’s semi-final victory over the South Africans was another example, Ireland toughing out a relentless home attacking onslaught before moving through the gears to seal a famous 31-12 victory and loosehead McCarthy said: “I suppose it helps having a successful team in the Six Nations the year before (winning the 2022 Grand Slam).

“There was a few guys coming back from there and then there’s just a general sense of ambition in the team as well.

“Everyone wants to do really well so we’re not just going to roll over and give up in a game. The lads in the squad are competitors, they want to win. So I suppose the collective group and the whole management staff are ambitious and I guess it’s a good time to be in Irish Rugby at the moment.” 

The Under-20s’ success emulated the senior side’s own Six Nations Grand Slam under Andy Farrell last March and the links between the two camps are underlined by the family ties in the squad. McCarthy, fly-half Sam Prendergast and wing Andrew Osborne each have an older sibling in the 37-man senior training squad preparing for September’s World Cup in France and the loosehead prop appreciates being able to exchange thoughts with his brother, the once-capped lock Joe McCarthy.

“I text Joe every few nights, just to see how he’s getting on in training. It’s nice getting assurance from him, he tells me how I’m doing or if I’m not doing well or whatever. It’s really good having a big brother like that.

“I know Joe’s good friends with Cian Prendergast and Jamie Osborne and then the three of us are friends as well so we have similar relationships and you aspire to being as good as your older brothers. It motivates you as well, knowing and learning from them as well.”