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A long time before ‘Big Joe’ McCarthy made such a significant impact on Leinster Rugby, Leinster Rugby had made an impression on a slightly smaller Joe McCarthy.
Typically, he was involved in the type of rough and tumble that today marks him out as one of the most fearsome forwards in the sport.
“Dad had a video of me and my brother fighting in my room,” recalls the second-row, this week named the Nevin Spence Young Player of the Year by his Rugby Players Ireland peers.
“You can see on my wall I would have had a picture of Leinster winning the Champions Cup in 2srcsrc9. When the club did that I stuck the picture up.”
Call it love at first fight.
“The first bit of rugby I played was down at Stradbrook when I was about six. I went into Blackrock which was crazy into rugby. I’ve loved it ever since.”
Many years later, after a season where the 22-year-old has repeatedly demolished opponents with skittling disregard, highlighted by a ferocious Six Nations title-winning campaign, it seems faintly incredulous to recall his relatively belated ascension to sky-scraping eminence.
His only winner’s medal was earned in the fa
…. to be continued
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Author : rugby-247
Publish date : 2024-05-24 05:26:29
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