I’M FEEL LIKE I’M READY TO GO – JOEY CARBERY
SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 2
By Daire Walsh
HE has been forced to show immense patience up until now, but Athy’s Joey Carbery will finally get an opportunity to start a Six Nations Championship game when Ireland face France in Saint-Denis on Saturday (kick-off 5.45pm local time/4.45pm Irish time).
A senior debutant in Ireland’s ground breaking victory against New Zealand – the country of his birth – at Soldier’s Field, Chicago back in November 2016, injuries have significantly curtailed Carbery’s progress in recent years. Although he featured heavily off the bench in the Grand Slam-winning season of 2018, he missed out of the 2017, 2020 and 2021 Championships in their entirety.
The presence of Jonathan Sexton has also made it difficult for him to break into the starting line-up with last Saturday’s 29-7 opening round win over Wales at the Aviva Stadium seeing him appear off the bench for the seventh time in a Six Nations game. However, a hamstring strain has ruled the Ireland captain out of the visit to Stade de France and Carbery will take his place in the number 10 jersey against Les Bleus.
“Really excited for the weekend. I feel like I’m ready to go, both mentally and physically. Training has gone really well this week and last week was really good as well. I’m feeling really ready,” Carbery remarked at a remote media conference on Thursday.
“I’ve obviously been involved in a few Six Nations campaigns before, but looking forward to getting the start from the go ahead. Just really excited and looking forward to Saturday.”
Despite having nine starts to his name already in the Test arena, this is the biggest opportunity of the 26-year-old former Ardscoil na Trionoide student’s international career to date. While he admitted to having some nerves when asked about the challenge that lies ahead from France, he sees this as part and parcel of top-tier rugby.
“I think anyone would get a bit nervous before any big game. I definitely do. There’ll always be that, but when you think back to what you’ve been through and the training, how it has gone the week previous it gives confidence to me in particular. Then confidence to the players around you. Knowing that you can lean back on the work you’ve done previous to this gives me massive confidence.”
Having missed the opening 14 games of Andy Farrell’s reign as head coach, Carbery finally returned to the Ireland fold for last year’s summer test encounters against Japan and the USA that were played in a sparsely populated Aviva Stadium. He also enjoyed cameo appearances in November victories over Japan and New Zealand, before being handed his third start in five games for a comprehensive win against Argentina at the Aviva.
It took him a little while to find his feet again, but Carbery believes he is now reaping the benefits of seeing substantial game time in these aforementioned fixtures.
“Obviously getting back up to speed with all the calls and the systems within Ireland maybe took me a week, but I didn’t look at it that way. I just wanted to go out and enjoy being back playing again and love being in the whole environment of the place. Just trying to enjoy every day, get better and do my part as part of the team. I wasn’t necessarily looking at it that way.
“I think every time I can get a start and get game time under my belt it’s hugely beneficial. Having the November and having the summer tests behind me, it leaves me in a good spot going into this weekend.”
After being kept out of action for the best part of 18 months – a couple of fleeting appearances either side of New Year’s Day in 2020 notwithstanding – following the completion of the 2019 World Cup, Carbery is now hopeful the worst of his injury troubles are now behind him. He was recently sidelined for a number of weeks with a fractured elbow, but thanks to the steely mental resolve he has built up over time, he won’t be letting this get the better of him.
“I think anyone who has been through a long-term injury knows how difficult it is. To come through that it has definitely helped me mentally to enjoy the good things in life sometimes. To be honest, I’m just delighted to be back playing.
“To be back out there injury free and just relishing the whole environment of going into such a big game on the weekend. It puts everything into context really when you’re back playing and you’re not injured. Having gone through that, I definitely feel like mentally I’m a lot stronger for it. Looking forward to it,” Carbery added.