'I like getting agressive and flying around the place' - Big Joe right at home in Marseille cauldron

FAMILY AFFAIR: Joe McCarthy of Ireland gives his man-of-the-match award to his brother Andrew. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

That picture of Joe McCarthy sticking his tongue out as he left the Stade Velodrome pitch depicts an unusual exit from the heat of Six Nations battle but it perfectly encapsulated a young Ireland lock who on Friday night admitted he likes “flying around the place”.

The 22-year-old looked more like a 50-cap Test veteran than a guy making his Six Nations debut as he put in a man-of-the-match performance against France to help Ireland to a record 38-17 bonus-point victory on French soil.