Andy Farrell is set to name his Ireland squad for the November internationals this week, and with interprovincial clashes in the last two rounds of URC, we saw head-to-head battles with players vying for their opportunity to be announced in the squad.
Going into the Connacht and Leinster game at the Dexcom Stadium last Saturday night, it felt like a trial game between Dave Heffernan, the more experienced hooker with more than 200 URC appearances, and the rising star in the hooker position, Gus McCarthy.
McCarthy's stock has risen dramatically in the last number of weeks. After captaining the Ireland Under-20 side last year, he was staring into a provincial battle with the likes of John McKee and Lee Barron, not to mention Ronan Kelleher and Dan Sheehan. It could have been a tough transition to senior rugby.
However, with injuries to others and his own ability to take the opportunity, he now looks likely to at least be named in Farrell’s Ireland squad, with some touting him as the next in line to wear the number two jersey.
It’s times like this that make the Emerging Ireland tour successful. McCarthy is coming off the back of a tour where he was exposed to Irish coaches and systems. The timing couldn’t be better for him to go straight into another camp while that knowledge is fresh. Knowledge and preparation will give players confidence, particularly when taking such a leap in terms of the level of the game.
He’s also currently the starting hooker in Leinster, the province that is responsible for most of the Ireland selection. He was exposed to two interprovincial matches in the last two weeks against other potential Ireland players and is likely to be getting most of the training reps at Leinster at present. He’s been around
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