Farrell reveals ‘pain in the ass’ Paddy McCarthy had bust-up with Johnny Sexton

'He spoiled our session on many occasions'

Andy Farrell has revealed he first took notice of Paddy McCarthy because of a full-blown row he had with Johnny Sexton as an Under-20. 

The uncapped McCarthy is on the bench for Ireland’s clash with New Zealand in Chicago on Saturday evening.

In his pre-match press conference, Farrell revealed how a row two years ago in training made people take notice of McCarthy.

In a training session between the senior side and Under-20s, for whom McCarthy was playing, McCarthy went in hard on Sexton in a session that wasn’t supposed to be full contact.

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When Sexton bit back, the two went at each other and didn’t back down, prompting both to be removed from the training session.

McCarthy is then thought to have given some ‘forthright views’ on the Ireland senior side’s maul.

With Sexton now in the coaching set up, the pair are good pals, and Farrell joked that McCarthy spoiled sessions on “many occasions”.

“That’s why we do train against the U-20s,” Farrell said. “So we know who is coming through. I get asked the question, ‘Do you want to train against them this year?’ 

“Imagine being in the under-20s and you didn’t get an opportunity to train against the first team and every other year has. It’s an unbelievable tradition.

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“You see people like Paddy and he was a pain in the ass. He spoiled our session on many occasions. 

“There’s something in the eyes there that not a lot of people have got. He’s been on the radar for a good few years because of how he took it to the senior boys a good few years ago.”