Second row Ahern and McCarthy shine in Emerging Ireland win

IT DID NOT come as a major surprise that the second-tier Irish pair of Tom Ahern and Joe McCarthy looked so good in a 54-7 victory over such poor opposition as the Griquas.

We knew long before this Emerging Ireland tour that Ahern and McCarthy had the potential to stand out on stages that are in a different stratosphere from the Toyota Challenge in Bloemfontein.

But you can only beat what’s put in front of you. 22-year-old Munster Ahern and 21-year-old Leinster lock McCarthy have been exciting prospects for some time now.

Waterford-born Ahern has been brilliant for the Irish U20s in 2020, showing the surprising athleticism and level of skill that hints at his past as a full-back or winger. He grew up in the Munster setup and initially struggled to adapt to the rigors of senior professional rugby, but has looked set to explode for a few years now.

Indeed, we had the impression that Munster had perhaps held him back a little too much at times. Ahern was excellent every time he played last season. It gives the impression that it will be a great season for him.

McCarthy was on an Irish tour of New Zealand this summer but missed out on a first senior cap. He played in the midweek matches against the Māori All Blacks and improved his standing with Andy Farrell and his coaching staff through his efforts in training.

McCarthy also played for the Ireland U20s in 2020 but was an out of the starting lineup at this stage and then suffered a big injury afterwards. He missed a lot of rugby but put that time to good use by adding size and power to his already large frame.

It was at the start of this calendar year that McCarthy began to make an impact at senior level for Leinster, making his January debut against Cardiff and improving rapidly with each of the 12 appearances he racked up, including three in the Cup Champions.

Joe McCarthy claims an Irish alignment.

Credit: Steve Haag/INPHO

He jumped into professional rugby like a duck to water, bringing solid work in the set piece as well as an obvious dynamism in the loose. Ireland couldn’t ignore him and he was soon in training with Farrell’s team. A test start seems certain sooner rather than later.

It was therefore obvious that McCarthy and Ahern would be among the best placed to excel with Emerging Ireland during their tour of South Africa. That’s exactly what they did in today’s big win against Griquas.

Ahern started in remarkable fashion when he bent his 6ft 9in frame on a breakdown to come up with a clean turnover as Ireland defended in their own half.

There aren’t many jackal threats as big as him, but Ahern is particularly agile and mobile, of course. He had another excellent break down steal later in the first half.

The 6ft 6in McCarthy also got in on the breakdown act shortly before halftime, putting in a turnover that saw Easterby’s side take to the field and score at the other end.

Ahern is undoubtedly the turnover king as he added in a great lineout stealing five yards from the Irish try line at one point, making a good forward read and then displaying his athleticism with a big spring to get up and return the ball. side of his team.

The energy of the Irish lock pair was also evident in the carry and tackle, as they pushed hard into the scrum, although both had brief moments in attack that left them frustrated.

Ahern was sent through the defense by a smart inside pass from Max Deegan at one point, but then went for an offload in the Griquas 22 and kicked the ball in the process.

It was an enjoyable day for the Irish peloton.

Credit: Steve Haag/INPHO

In the first half, McCarthy could have passed out to an overlap down the left but opted to carry. Emerging Ireland, however, scored a few phases later when the impressive Scott Penny tipped a clean pass for Josh Wycherley to score.

McCarthy looks explosive in virtually every action on the pitch and while he’s more of a traditional tighthead lock than the longer Ahern, he also boasts great mobility and relatively good speed. He also completed the full 80 minutes at altitude this afternoon.

It was Ahern who took on the line-out call-up duties and he did well in that regard, with the Irish set-piece going smoothly, particularly considering that this group n haven’t even been together for a week and had to travel south. Africa at that time. A first-half maul try finished by Scott Penny was slick.

Ahern made way for Leinster’s Brian Deeny heading into the final quarter as the scoring began to open up, with much of his good work laying the groundwork for what followed.

Forwards coach Paul O’Connell can be pleased with how this group came together against a Griquas side. Ahern and McCarthy are two players who stand to benefit hugely from O’Connell’s close work over two weeks and they were central to a strong outing today.