McCarthy relishes South Africa reunion as Ireland brace for Nations Championship without six key men

Joe McCarthy is looking forward to testing himself against South Africa as Ireland navigate a disrupted build-up to the northern swing of the 2026 Nations Championship, with Argentina and Fiji first on the schedule and a significant injury list already taking shape.

Speaking at Ireland’s High Performance Centre in Dublin, the Leinster lock made no attempt to hide his competitive appetite. “You want to play against the best, if you want to be the best. I can’t wait,” McCarthy said, with the prospect of a reunion with the Springboks clearly motivating him.

The squad Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has assembled for the upcoming games is without Jack Crowley, Caelan Doris, Jack Conan, Calvin Nash, Jack Boyle and Paddy McCarthy. Garry Ringrose is also likely to miss out after suffering a hamstring injury, while tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong faces a disciplinary hearing after being cited for a questionable clear-out in a Leinster-Munster fixture.

Ireland assistant coach Johnny Sexton moved to defend Furlong’s character ahead of that hearing. “I know Tadhg as a person, first and foremost, and I don’t think that’s something he would have done,” Sexton said. “So I just have to back him in that regard, but we’ll see what happens with the disciplinary hearing.”

Amid the uncertainty, two new faces have been added to the squad. Ulster back-row James McNabney and his versatile club team-mate Jamie Benson are the only fresh inclusions. McNabney, 23, had been set for his Ireland debut in the summer of 2025 before an ACL injury wiped out his entire 2025-26 campaign. Farrell moved quickly to bring him back into the fold as soon as he was fit.

McCarthy was warm in his assessment of the newcomer, noting a shared connection through his younger brother Paddy. “James had a real rough year last year, he was out with his ACL, and he just comes back straight away — it shows the character of a player,” McCarthy said. “He has these big, powerful arms. He’s an impressive player.”

Farrell echoed that view, describing McNabney as “some specimen”, while McCarthy offered a more colourful take: “He’s definitely got that farmer strength in him.” It is, in Irish rugby circles, a considerable compliment — and one that was once applied to McCarthy himself by his old coach at Trinity Rugby when he first broke into the senior set-up.

With the Nations Championship northern swing approaching, Ireland will need to absorb those absences quickly. The Furlong hearing will be an early focal point, with Leinster scrum coach Robin McBryde also speaking in support of the prop’s character as the process gets under way.