Joe McCarthy reveals secret that helped Ireland defeat England in Six Nations

Ireland secured a seismic victory over England at Twickenham in the Six Nations, as they won 42-21.

Andy Farrell’s side were fantastic in both defence and attack as they ended England’s Six Nations hopes while ensuring they are still in the fight to lift silverware at the end of the competition.

Several Irish players had standout performances, with Jamison Gibson-Park being crowned man of the match, while Stuart McCloskey and Robert Baloucoune also impressed.

One forward that deserves credit is Joe McCarthy, who carried well throughout the match and divulged the secret key to their success, with it being a key reminder from Farrell.

Joe McCarthy joins the RTÉ panel and discusses how Ireland have seemingly turned around their performance and what a win in Twickenham feels like.

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Speaking to RTE, he said: “He instilled loads of belief in us and having real confidence in us and what Irish players can bring to a team.

“Our point of difference is Irish players. We are smart, we are fast, and we are physical, and we have to bring that Irish edge out.

“Huge belief coming to Twickenham knowing we could make it a good day, and it wasn’t a surprise to us that we could do that.”

Andy Farrell was quick to point to the incredible performance by his players and was proud of their efforts, summarised by his celebration as McCloskey chased down a Marcus Smith break late on in the game, in what looked like an impossible task for the Ulsterman.

The Ireland head coach was quick to speak about the move away from abject misery following the France defeat to everyone feeling like they are on cloud nine after this victory over England.

Speaking to RTE, he said: “We was down in the dumps two weeks ago and even last week. Our 20s got over the line as well, which was a phenomenal win for them, and that inspires you as well.

“We know where we are going. Honestly, I didn’t care whether we won or lost today, just whether we grew as a group, and the respect that we had for the shirt shows to each other how much it means to play for Ireland.”