Although he led Ireland for a second time in that epic win over the Springboks last July, the Caelan Doris era as Irish captain begins in earnest against the All Blacks at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night, and, true to type, it’s clear that his leadership will be based first and foremost on his own deeds.
“Probably actions first,” he said, when asked about his leadership style, adding: “I think I’ve a good relationship with all of the individuals within the group.”
That was certainly true when captaining the Irish under-20s, when he was very much a leader from the front. He derives confidence from “quite a fixed routine” which has been reinforced by talking to Johnny Sexton and Peter O’Mahony. “Because ultimately the biggest influence you can have is how you play in the 80 minutes.”
One imagines Doris won’t be required to say much for the latest instalment in this engrossing rivalry, not least as it’s such a settled Irish team and coaching group under Andy Farrell.
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“It’s a special group we have, we’ve had a great 10 days so far together, and we’re massively excited for tomorrow. A Friday night game, here in the Aviva, packed out against New Zealand, you can’t get better than this – there is a lot of excitement in the group,” said the captain, echoing his master’s voice.
It would, he admitted, be a “hugely proud [occasion] for me, myself, my family, everyone who has played a part in my rugby journey. So I hope they’ll all have a bit of pride watching tomorrow.”
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A reprise of his first performance against the All Blacks here three years ago would do nicely, when he left several men in black trailing in his wake with that galloping try off an out-in line from outside the 22 to score under the posts in Ireland’s 29-20 win, which he described as “probably one of my favourite games I’ve played ever”.
He added: “The feeling after, doing the lap with the crowd still there cheering, the atmosphere in general, the nature of the game, the extra level, you can feel the physicality going up a notch in these games. There’s so much to look forward to.”
Doris played down any element of bad blood between the two sides.
“I don’t think so. You obviously hear about some of the stuff that came out after the game,” he said in reference to the World Cup quarter-final and the post-match spat between Johnny Sexton and Reiko Ioane. “But it hasn’t been a big thing for us at all this week. We’re very aware of their threats and how good a team they are and how good individuals they have. That’s been the focus point more than anything else.”
Again echoing Farrell, he said revenge for the World Cup quarter-final was not a motive, although he did admit “I’ve obviously reflected on that game, and I know it wasn’t near one of my best performances or where I can get to. So it’s all part of the journey, the evolution of a player and a person.”
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