ULSTER HAD SECOND row woes as the impressive Cormac Izuchukwu joined their list of injuries after just 18 minutes of Saturday’s URC quarter-final in Dublin and those issues were only magnified by Leinster’s locks having a fine day.

Ross Molony scored a muscular try off the bench, James Ryan made some big defensive plays, while Joe McCarthy was the best player on the pitch.

23-year-old McCarthy has had a remarkable season with province and country, becoming a first-choice player for Leinster and Ireland during this 2023/24 campaign.

He has had some lows, like the crushing disappointment of losing the Champions Cup final to Toulouse, but the past year has mainly been about exciting highs. McCarthy’s display against Ulster last weekend came as no surprise given the destructive edge the second row has brought all season.

He started as he meant to go on, earning a maul turnover in the second minute of the game. McCarthy’s first involvement is as a lifter in Leinster’s lineout defence.

He lifts Ryan Baird from behind as the Leinster flanker competes with Izuchukwu in the air.

Leinster are unsuccessful in the air, so McCarthy immediately switches focus as he drops his upper body to engage in the maul.

With Baird working hard to fight forward on the right of Izucukwu, McCarthy gets into a good slot between Baird and Ulster lock Harry Sheridan, who has lifted Izuchukwu from behind.

Sheridan’s job is to keep that seam tight, denying Leinser access through the middle of the maul. But the combined effect of Baird reaching through and McCarthy now driving up and through powerfully proves to be hugely effective.

As Baird grapples with Izuchukwu, separating him from Sheridan, McCarthy bursts up through that seam and inside Sheridan.

Because McCarthy is coming through the middle of the maul, rather than up the side, he is entitled to reach over the top and snaffle ball-carrier Rob Herring.

Having got a grip with his left hand, McCarthy then fights to get his right through past Sheridan and over onto the ball.

It’s a nightmare for the Ulster maul with McCarthy straight onto the ball and he has the power to rip it clear, Tadhg Furlong helping by pinning Herring’s right arm.

This turnover eventually leads to Leinster having a brilliant chance to open the scoring from a five-metre lineout but they miss that opportunity. Still, it’s a big statement of intent from McCarthy.

“Something I like to do is the lineout maul, lineout defending,” says McCarthy.

“My strengths are probably more on the ground, I lift a good bit. Sometimes you can go high through a seam. That one, I went low and you almost burrow through like a mole.

“I managed to get through the middle and on the ball. Sometimes you might not get the whole way through but you might pressure them.”

McCarthy was soon required to make an important defensive play close to the Leinster tryline as Ulster piled on early pressure.

Number eight Nick Timoney looked destined to score the opening try for the northern province as he surged for the line but McCarthy came up with a muscular effort to deny him.

The smart bit is that McCarthy was happy to roll back over his own tryline with Timoney’s momentum, knowing he has a good grip under the ball.

That means Leinster end up with a goal-line drop-out.

“They were putting a lot of pressure on us and I just about got under the ball,” says McCarthy.

“He came up short and I just about pulled him over and it is that new rule about holding him up and you know if you can hold them up over the line then it is a pretty good opportunity for your team.”

Later in the first half, McCarthy came up with a breakdown turnover – not something that big, powerful second rows like himself are renowned for.

Josh van der Flier gives him the opportunity with a superb chop tackle on Ulster back row Matty Rea, getting him to ground very quickly.

McCarthy is accurate with his jackal effort, clamping straight onto the ball and dipping low to absorb the clearout attempt from Greg Jones and then Timoney.

It proves to be a crucial penalty win as Leinster eventually score their second try through James Lowe after kicking into Ulster territory.

“I have definitely been told to stick my head in – not jump in there too many times, but if the opportunity arrives I’ll have a crack at it and I do practice it a bit,” says McCarthy of this steal.

“There’s a lot of good poachers there like Tadhg Beirne, so it’s not something I think about too much but if the opportunity is there I will go for the ball.”

McCarthy is always busy at the defensive breakdown with his ‘barge’ work, driving into the opposition on the counter-ruck and trying to spoil their possession or force turnover.

It’s his job to live life on the edge but he generally got the balance right against Ulster, aside from one penalty concession for side entry near the Leinster tryline late in the first half.

“You’re always trying to put maximum pressure on without giving away a penalty,” says the Leinster lock. “That’s my mindset. It’s a tough balance and you don’t always get it right but you get better as you play more games. You get a better feel for what the refs are looking for.”

Of course, McCarthy brings plenty in attack too.

Against Ulster, we got another example of how Leinster use his powerful running as part of their set-piece attack plays. McCarthy made this explosive carry on second phase of a lineout attack.

Ulster tighthead Tom O’Toole feels the force of McCarthy’s carrying in this instance.

Later in the game, McCarthy enjoyed getting his hands on an Ulster knock-on, charging upfield and offloading overhead to Caelan Doris.

As well as making 11 carries and passing the ball eight times in total, McCarthy was as involved as ever in the attacking ruck.

Watch his crucial clearout below at the breakdown before Robbie Henshaw scores Leinster’s opening try.

Jones is an obvious jackal threat over Jimmy O’Brien but McCarthy arrives with force to shift the replacement Ulster lock off the ball along with Ryan.

Leinster are now on the road for the semi-finals as they face the Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday.

McCarthy’s form is encouraging and his energy doesn’t appear to be dimming in any way at this stage of the season.