Ireland's Joe McCarthy has admitted that their lineout struggles during the Autumn Nations Series were caused by attempts to introduce new variations.
Ireland lost five of their 24 lineouts in their win against Australia, with similar issues evident in their opening game defeat to the All Blacks.
Leinster's McCarthy acknowledged that experimenting with set-piece variations contributed to the difficulties, highlighting it as a big area for improvement moving forward.
“There’s definitely improvement to be had,” McCarthy said to the Indpendent. “Today was a bit crazy—there were 24 lineouts. I think we were on the run trying to make up some new lineouts, and we had gone through all of them about twice.
“We’ve had good success and strong mauls throughout the year, focusing on drills and execution, but we probably slipped away from that in a few games. We leaked a few lineouts and had some sloppy moments, but overall, it’s been relatively strong.”
Ireland had 24 lineouts against Australia. They lost 5.
Joe McCarthy says they were making up new calls on the run. https://t.co/MNgKVBBe2s
— Cian Tracey (@CianTracey1) December 1, 2024
Since breaking onto the international scene, McCarthy has featured in every game for Andy Farrell’s side in 2024 and has established himself as a first-choice second rower since the Rugby World Cup.
With his sights set on the Six Nations next spring, McCarthy is also a potential candidate for the British & Irish Lions tour next summer. Despite his success, he remains focused on the next games to come.
“There’s a lot of rugby to be played until then,” McCarthy admitted. “I know that’s a clichéd answer, but I try to focus on the now. That’ll definitely be an aim, but there’s a lot of rugby to be played for Leinster and Ireland, hopefully."
Reflecting on the year, he added, "It's been unreal. I think I was involved in every game, which has been huge. It’s been such an enjoyable season with so many highs—winning the Six Nations and winning in South Africa—but it definitely feels like there’s more to come. A few games slipped away from us that we look back on with a bit of regret.”
Ireland’s 2025 Six Nations Fixtures:
- England—Aviva Stadium, Dublin: Saturday, 1st February, 4:45 pm
- Scotland: Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh: Sunday, 9th February, 3:00 pm
- Wales – Principality Stadium, Cardiff: Saturday, 22nd February, 2:15 pm
- France—Aviva Stadium, Dublin: Saturday, 8th March, 2:15 pm
- Italy: Stadio Olimpico, Rome: Saturday, 15th March, 2:15 pm
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