Ireland v New Zealand: Joe McCarthy says the 'beast keeps rolling' after All Blacks loss at World Cup
All-action Ireland and Leinster second row Joe McCarthy insists he has fully recovered from a hamstring issue and is hungry to get stuck in against New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium
Joe McCarthy is ready to rip into New Zealand after learning to put aside the heartbreak of Ireland's last meeting with the All Blacks.
McCarthy has only featured twice for Leinster this season due to a hamstring injury - his last action came exactly a month ago at Benetton.
His second row colleague James Ryan has started the season strongly and, while Tadhg Beirne is also poised to start, Farrell is likely to go with the combination that started the second Test against South Africa. That would mean McCarthy and Ryan in the second row and new Munster skipper Beirne at No.6.
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"I had a small niggle in my hamstring but I've been in camp and been able to take part in everything, I've been able to fully rip in, so it's all good now," said McCarthy.
"It was great in Portugal. We have put in some seriously good sessions, they were tasty enough and prepare you super well for a game. Paulie's (Paul O'Connell's) maul sessions and the attack on top of that usually gets you fairly well ready."
McCarthy came off the bench for the final 22 minutes of the World Cup quarter-final. Ireland pushed hard for the winning try but it wasn't to be and the 23-year-old's world stage ended on a sickening note.
Handed the chance to start Ireland's next game - the Six Nations opener in Marseille in February - McCarthy made the most of it with a rip-roaring display and has made the No.4 jersey his own at Test level.
"You obviously do think back to it a bit," he said, recalling the quarter-final loss. "It was such a massive game and you want to put your best foot forward and make a bit of history with Ireland. But it's something that reminds you where you need to be for those games.
"But the beast keeps rolling on in rugby - you keep going to the next thing and don't look too far back. It is something that plays on your mind - at that sort of level you have to be at your best in those big games or you won't come away with the win.
"It's awesome. A late kick-off on Friday night, I'm sure it'll be absolutely brilliant. Everyone will be building up to it by the time we get to the stadium. I love a late Friday night game. You have the whole day to chill out and get ready."
The lineout will be of massive interest given both Ireland and New Zealand have had injury problems there. With Dan Sheehan rehabbing an ACL injury, it remains to be seen if Farrell throws Ronan Kelleher and Rob Herring straight back into the matchday squad despite only returning to fitness.
The All Blacks are missing their first choice hooker Codie Taylor - and it will be intriguing to see if McCarthy employs any of the tactics he has been picking up from Leinster's new sensation RG Snyman.
"He's awesome," said McCarthy. "He's not just a big brute, he's a very intelligent rugby player so he's had a lot of impact in lineout defence and attack groups. It's great to learn from him.
"The dark arts in South Africa, he's bringing it in and nuances like that. He's a bit of a game changer and can make an opportunity from anything. He's exciting to play with."
McCarthy says his main focus for now has been on defending - "trying to derail players" - and he expects an ultra-physical encounter, but also an intense mental challenge.
"I played a couple of New Zealand teams - the Maoris - and once against the All Blacks before. The physicality is definitely there," he said. "I feel like mentally you have to be quite switched on. They're dangerous at any aspect.
"If you leave a short side they'll whip back down there, or quick lineout throws. You're almost mentally fatigued, because you're trying to switch on even when you're wrecked. That's one of the biggest differences. You're always on, ready for anything like quick taps or quick throws. They'll see space and take it."
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The All Blacks are also battle-hardened coming into this one, while Ireland haven't played since the second Test in South Africa last July.
"It's an interesting one whether it's better to be battle-hardened going into a game or be fresh. A lot of our guys have played a lot of games in the URC, which is quite competitive," said McCarthy. We pride ourselves on being able to come together as fast as possible.
"We don't make any excuses. Even if it's the first game up, we don't ease ourselves into it - we expect to hit the ground running. We don't have any excuse for not being cohesive because it's our first game.
"Every game starts on zero. You have to make it happen. No matter what position you play, you're playing against 15 top quality rugby players, so you're preparing as hard as you can.
"We've had a good track record the last few years, we've earned the right to have a bit of confidence going into games. There's nerves in big Test matches but we're confident in what we can do, and definitely won't be taking the All Blacks lightly."
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