'The dark arts of causing as much havoc as he possibly can'

Andy Farrell has saluted the rapid progress made in the 2024 Guinness Six Nations by Joe McCarthy, the soon-to-be 23-year-old who has blasted his way into the starting Ireland line-up and quickly formed a powerful second row partnership with Tadhg Beirne.

McCarthy’s career has taken off like a rocket since he secured inclusion as a fringe player in Farrell’s Rugby World Cup squad.

At the time he wouldn’t have even been viewed as a Leinster regular, but he vaulted up the pecking order and has now entered March as a Six Nations star following last month's exploits versus France and Wales.

England are his next challenge this Saturday and Farrell is banking on the fledgling McCarthy/Beirne axis making a huge impact against Maro Itoje and George Martin.

“They’re very different, aren’t they? I suppose that is the balance of a good second row partnership,” Farrell remarked when asked to summarise the new lock partnership.

“Tadhg is doing a great job at calling the lineout. He is nice and composed as far as that is concerned and adds different skills to the dynamics of our team in comparison to Joe who is mastering the art of tighthead lock, the dark arts of causing as much havoc as he possibly can.

“He is learning that pretty quickly at the minute. I’m sure there are things he would love to have got better from the Welsh game and he gets another chance to prove that.”

Farrell has also highlighted the reignited influence of Tadhg Furlong, the back-in-form tighthead who has overcome the injury issues that dogged him in 2023.

“He is in good form. He is injury-free; he has been getting some good continuity as far as game time is concerned. It was stop-start for him last year which obviously didn’t help.

“It was a tough old time for him but I have no doubt because obviously throughout his career he has been unbelievably consistent and when that is stop-start it’s hard to handle I’m sure. But now he is back in the rhythm again, back to where he needs to be.”