‘DEFINITELY A STEP UP’- PADDY MCCARTHY RELISHED ALL BLACKS DEBUT FOR IRELAND

There weren’t many positives to be gleaned from Ireland’s defeat by the All Blacks in Chicago, another of those patchy performances which are becoming a worrying trend.

Once again, there were issues with the set-piece, breakdown and discipline for Ireland. Andy Farrell has a lot of things to fix in the short term and further down the line with the 2027 World Cup in mind.

It may have slipped under the radar during New Zealand’s final-quarter purple patch, but the sight of Paddy McCarthy arriving on the pitch in the 67th minute at Soldier Field was hugely encouraging.

The depth chart for Ireland at loosehead prop has been a work in progress for quite some time.

Andrew Porter getting through 70-minute shifts, with an ageing Cian Healy providing bench cover was never a sustainable long-term option.

When Healy retired after almost two decades at the coalface, Farrell knew he had to begin looking at other options. There was plenty of investment in Jack Boyle last season, with the 23-year-old prop making five international appearances.

Farrell made a big call in the lead-up to the All Blacks game by selecting Paddy McCarthy on the bench. Younger brother of Joe, the Leinster, Ireland and Lions lock, this fledgling frontrower has been tipped for big things.

McCarthy was a standout performer in an Ireland U20 team which made a Junior World Cup final in 2023. Sam Prendergast, Gus McCarthy, Hugh Gavin, Brian Gleeson, Ruadhán Quinn and James McNabney have all since broken into the senior ranks at their provinces.

McCarthy is the next cab off the rank. It was a massive vote of confidence from Farrell to back him against the All Blacks, not least because he had just four senior appearances for Leinster under his belt.

‘Faz just said to be myself. It was a pretty simple message – make my tackles, do my bits well around scrum and stuff like that,’ said McCarthy, reflecting on his first exposure to Test level.

‘I tried to deliver on that. Maybe we were unlucky with a few scrum calls or whatever. But, no, I was just delighted to make my debut. I was nervous in patches, and then other times I was just excited. The contacts definitely were bigger.

‘If you went into a breakdown, there’s All Black bodies just flying in and into you. Definitely a step up in physicality. You could feel it in the lungs as well.’

McCarthy was part of Ireland’s summer development tour of Georgia and Portugal. He didn’t see a minute of action under Paul O’Connell’s watch, but the Ireland interim coach told the young prop to be patient and bide his time.

‘Paul said it to me, Garry (Ringrose) didn’t get capped in his fourth camp. Jamie Osborne was similar enough. Different guys who come through.

‘He says normally you get a feeler when you come into camp. You get to know the environment first before you get capped. The guys who did get capped were great players as well. There’s good competition. I was seeing it as being hard done by really.’

At some stage down the line, we will see both McCarthys unleashed on an opposition side.

The elder brother is currently recovering from a foot injury, which derailed his Lions series. The sight of these barnstorming brothers on the pitch together will be something to behold when both are match fit.

Joe was in Chicago to watch his younger sibling make his international bow. He was the perfect sounding board last week. ‘He’s pretty positive.

‘He’s just like, “You’ll do great”. Sometimes you get little doubts in your head, but he just reassured me and said you’ll do great and be yourself,’ added Paddy. ‘He’s hoping to get back as soon as possible.

‘I think he’s back running now. He’s going well. His rehab is going to plan. He picked up another injury after the Lions. He thought he was going to be back, but then he had another thing (injury). He’s coming back from that now.’

Seven days after his debut, McCarthy could be making his first Ireland start against Japan on Saturday. Farrell will be keen to give Porter a rest, given the looming clashes with Australia and South Africa in the coming weeks.

McCarthy could find himself packing down against the Brave Blossoms at Aviva Stadium. Unsurprisingly, he is relishing that prospect. ‘I’d love to be involved in that. It would be another challenge.

‘That’s what we said in the changing room. ‘We’ve got to not feel sorry for ourselves and just kick on for the next few games.’

2025-11-04T11:43:46Z