‘I’m a young buck still’: Joe McCarthy on becoming a senior figure at Leinster
Leinster rugby player Joe McCarthy discusses his transition into a more senior leadership role within the team following a recent tour of South Africa. Despite his relative youth, McCarthy is taking on increased responsibilities in tactical analysis and dressing room leadership.
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Whisper it, but former young tyro Joe McCarthy is beginning to sound, and behave, like one of Leinster ’s senior men.
The 25-year-old was asked to step beyond his usual role during the province’s recent trip to South Africa. Part of a group of Ireland internationals who travelled knowing they would not play, McCarthy was among those given responsibility for analysing the Lions and Sharks and presenting his findings to coaches and players.
“We were kind of in a player-coach role,” McCarthy said. “So it was a bit of a different thing, putting together a few clips of the opposition and deciding what points do we really hammer home. It was useful. You hear a lot from the coaches, but I think the players enjoyed hearing from the players on things like that.”
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