RYAN BAIRD has hailed Joe McCarthy for his role in Leinster’s march to the Champions Cup final.
The province switch their attention back to the URC for this weekend and next before a third European final in a row, when they face Toulouse on May 25.
And, although Leo Cullen brought a shadow squad to South Africa for two URC fixtures in between the Champions Cup quarter-final and semi-final, some of the big guns will be rolled out against Ospreys tomorrow.
Baird is hoping to be one of them and there will be no shortage of preparation if he and the lock both get the nod.
Baird revealed: “I love playing with Joe. There is an incredible individuality about his play in terms of how he puts his statement on to the pitch. He is so unique in how he plays.
“Me and him would be on the phone talking about lineouts for 40 or 50 minutes a couple of times a week, making sure that we have a plan in place, where we’re seeing the same pictures, we’re all on the same page.
“I think he’s an incredible player. I always say it to him, that it’s an absolute honour to play with him every time. I think he’s absolutely phenomenal.
“What is he, 125kg, of just pure muscle? He is a battering ram but, also, you look at that try in the Aviva where he’s galloping and then gives it back to Jamo [Jamison Gibson-Park] on the inside.
“He is as much a power forward running at people, as well as having the ability to dance around people, offload in contact.
“He has an incredible skill-set, I wouldn’t put him into one category, I’d say he is multi-skilled.”
And, given how a lack of beef was viewed as a shortcoming when Leinster came up against the bigger sides.
Baird is happy with how he and McCarthy are helping on that score since establishing themselves as regulars.
HAPPY BUNCH
Baird said: “The front row are really happy with the back five at the moment.
“They’re really happy with our energy, the weight we’re giving them, so that’s probably where I see it most or where I get the feedback.
“They’re really happy with the intent we’re bringing and they obviously feel that weight and are complimenting us, making sure we just keep bringing it because they fight bloody hard upfront so the least we can do is push as far as we can.”
The back row refused point blank to discuss the upcoming final against Toulouse, insisting that his sole focus was the URC.
He said: “If I get to play this week I’d be really excited because I get to build on momentum from last week.
“I’m not keeping the powder dry, I’d love to get out there again.
“We’re second in the table, we need to push to get back up top, there’s a hell of a lot on the line.
“People might be distracted by the Champions Cup but there’s a hell of a lot on the line for us in the URC to get that top seed.
“Coming away trophyless for the last two years is no bueno, as they say in Spanish.
“Who doesn’t want to achieve the double? That’s our objective. One is perceived to be bigger but the work that goes into both is equal.”
SAINTS CLASH
And he believes their win over Saints last week will stand to them, even if the perception is they took their foot off the gas to the extent they risked losing.
He said: “Of course you’d love to finish off the game, score two tries and put them away but saying we tapped out would be disrespectful to Northampton.”
And he reckons the fact they held out shows an improvement from last year’s final against La Rochelle when they squandered a big lead.
He said: “One hundred per cent. We didn’t go into our shells.
“It’s natural to feel the nerves but to be in that position when we have been on the other side I was like, ‘I am not letting this fing happen again — we are not letting this fing happen again’.
“We wanted to attack it and finish it and get into the final.
“A good saying one of my close friends has is, ‘You’re building a mountain by painting it with layers of paint’. One stroke at a time.
“That was another layer of paint on what we do every day for the last number of years.
“It’s evidence-based confidence to show that we can do this because we have done that.”