Paddy McCarthy continuing Andy Farrell’s gradual evolution

“I didn't think I would get a start in this window because in the summer I didn't even play in the Ireland squad," said Ireland newcomer Paddy McCarthy.

Paddy McCarthy now has three Ireland caps after making his debut against New Zealand in Chicago. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

No-one will accuse Andy Farrell of giving Test caps away. The Ireland head coach continues to lean on a solid core of bodies as Ireland pass the halfway mark between World Cups. A shallow enough talent pool is part of that.

Narratives can be unhelpful, though. This is a man who made the leap from league giant to union novice as a player and moved lock, stock and barrel to a new country in the wake of England’s disastrous showing at the home World Cup a decade ago.

Change is not something he should fear.

Retirements and injuries will always force a coach’s hand but look at the side that took on Australia on Saturday night and you will see evidence of change, incremental for the most part, that is changing the face and the faces of this Irish side.

Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley are still working to fill the void left by Johnny Sexton, Mack Hansen marked his first start at full-back with a hat-trick, Tommy O’Brien has slotted in seamlessly on the wing this window and Stuart McCloskey is back in fashion.

Caelan Doris is building minutes at openside flanker now, Ryan Baird is finally becoming something like the blindside/lock option people think he can be, Tom Clarkson is integrating under the radar and then there’s Paddy McCarthy.

The young Leinster prop didn’t get a cap from last summer’s games against Georgia and Portugal. Now he has three caps after a debut in Chicago, another run against Japan and a first start against the Wallabies at the weekend.

Not bad for a guy who didn’t really expect to be part of Farrell’s plans this month.

“I don't know. I wasn't sure if I'd be playing for Ireland or not. I know when the squad came out, I thought I was in the ‘A’ squad. When the message came in, it was ‘ANS squad’. I didn't know it was ‘Autumn Nations’, I thought it was ‘A’ squad or ‘A’ National Squad.

“I was like, I’ll just take what I get and play as much as possible. But I was happy out. I was very happy that the coaches, Fogs, Pauly and Faz, put a lot of confidence in me when I came in, more than I expected.

“I didn't think I would get a start in this window because in the summer I didn't even play in the Ireland squad. So to actually get a start and being told I was going well, in the scrums and things like that, it was nice.” 

McCarthy is part of the 2023 U20s Grand Slam-winning side that has also fed Sam Prendergast and Gus McCarthy into the Test ranks and there are plenty more of that vintage who have already made inroads to their respective provincials sides too.

He stood out in other ways besides.

The traditional senior/U20s Six Nations training session a few years back saw him clash with none other than Johnny Sexton who was unimpressed with the younger man’s physicality. Farrell remembered it and labelled him affectionately as a “pain in the ass” recently.

The need to impress was clearly there.

“I remember coaches at 20s level would be like, 'you're a prop and you don't need to be doing anything more than being a prop', and not in a bad way, not in a negative way but kind of like focusing on your tackles, your ruck, your carries, your scrum and lineouts.

“Obviously that's five things but just doing that and not trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat or doing anything mad, like. Not that I was, but chilling out and stuff like that. I don't have much to add to that to be honest.” 

Now, not a year from now with the World Cup looming on the horizon, is the time to be breaking in to the reckoning and Ireland could probably do with more Paddy McCarthys putting their hand up sooner rather than later.

He was, after all, the only uncapped player named in the original November squad and the road he has yet to go is obvious given there have been just ten appearances for Leinster to date and none of them in the Champions Cup.

McCarthy’s exposure to South African teams amounts to just 120 minutes so far, and the scrummaging experience against the Stormers the last time was marred by resets and all sorts of other messy stuff.

Next week will be another step again in his journey, if picked.