From Auckland to Thomond Park, Kit Shepard has the lowdown on the Munster man

Who is Joey Carbery: Ten things you should know about the Ireland fly-half

Joey Carbery became a prodigious Irish talent after a childhood move from New Zealand. The Leinster fly-half is a fine playmaker and incisive runner.

Ten Things you should know about Joey Carbery

1. Joey Carbery was born on 1 November 1995 in Auckland. Both his parents are of Irish heritage and the family moved to Athy in Leinster when Carbery was 12.

2. Carbery attended Blackrock College for his final year of school and was part of the team that won the Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup in 2014.

3. He progressed through the Leinster academy and made his senior debut in March 2016. The following September he was granted his first start against Treviso and responded with two tries in a virtuoso fly-half display.

4. Carbery’s Ireland debut, against New Zealand in November 2016, was similarly impressive. He came off the bench for the final 20 minutes and nailed a tricky conversion to help Ireland beat his nation of birth for the first time.

5. In his first full season as a Leinster senior player, he won Pro12 Young Player of the year. The following campaign, he was part of the squad that sealed a historic Pro14 and European Champions Cup double.

6. In search of greater playing time, Carbery swapped Leinster for Munster at the start of the 2018-19 season.

7. He had a strong first season in Munster colours, winning man-of-the-match in home and away pool victories over Gloucester as the province reached the European Champions Cup semi-finals. However, he was sidelined with a hamstring injury as they were knocked out by Saracens.

8. He made three appearances as a replacement at the 2019 World Cup but Ireland lost to New Zealand in the quarter-finals and Carbery returned to Munster with an ankle injury.

9. Recurring ankle injuries meant Carbery went 13 months without playing a game before returning for Munster against Cardiff Blues in February 2021. Carbery made his first Ireland start in 23 months against Japan in July 2021.

10. He enjoyed excellent showings in the autumn victories over Japan, New Zealand and Argentina, with an injury to Johnny Sexton increasing his opportunities. He was handed the No 10 shirt for Ireland’s crucial 2022 Six Nations encounter with France after Sexton suffered a hamstring strain.

Download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door.

Follow Rugby World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.