Farrell excited to hand Doris the captaincy reins

MASSIVE PRIVILEGE: Ireland Head Coach Andy Farrell said it was a massive privilage to give Caelan Doris captaincy for the first time. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

Andy Farrell spoke of the privilege of naming Caelan Doris as captain of Ireland for this Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations clash with Italy in Dublin.

Doris, 25, will captain his country for the first time in the absence of Peter O’Mahony as Ireland continue their championship title defence after a record opening-round victory in France last Friday. Head coach Farrell has made six changes to the side which started the 38-17 bonus-point win in Marseille, with Doris moving from No.8 to openside flanker in place of Josh van der Flier to accommodate the inclusion of Jack Conan.

Of his new captain, whose lone previous captaincy experience at senior level was for Leinster against Ulster on January 1, Farrell said: “To put him in that position is a massive privilege for me, as I’m sure it is for Caelan and his family, so let’s recognise that, first and foremost.

“He’s someone that has been on my mind, certainly, through the World Cup and how he has come on as a leader etc and how he has dealt with being an international, top class player over the years, his story as it were, from his first cap to where he is now has been astonishing really, behind the scenes.

“So, therefore we are excited to give him the reins and let’s see what he can do with it.” 

Asked what kind of leader Doris will be, Farrell replied: “A bit of everything I hope. Obviously it’s his first time captaining his country and he’s not done that much with Leinster neither, barring one a couple of weeks ago.

“Captaining the (Ireland) Under-20s, he is someone that is unbelievably professional, very diligent in his own preparation, so therefore because he is so comfortable in his own skin, he is able to think outside the box as far as helping everyone else with the bigger picture stuff.

“Even the detail stuff of his team-mates etc, and we have seen that flourish massively over the last couple of years, but more so throughout the World Cup.

“He is a very calm, calculated type of individual that will have that reassurance on the rest of the group.” 

Ryan Baird replaces calf injury victim O’Mahony at blindside flanker while James Ryan is promoted from the bench to partner last week’s man of the match Joe McCarthy in the second row.

Finley Bealham comes in for Tadhg Furlong, who also missed out with a calf issue, at tighthead prop to complete the forward pack changes.

At scrum-half, first-choice Jamison Gibson-Park moves onto the bench as Craig Casey is given an opportunity alongside Munster half-back partner Jack Crowley with outside them, Stuart McCloskey is included at inside centre as Bundee Aki is given a chance to rest a troublesome knee.

Farrell has also mixed up his replacements for the visit of an Italy side which lost narrowly to England last Saturday in Rome. The Ireland boss has reverted from a six-two split to five forwards and three backs, with Harry Byrne providing fly-half cover and Jordan Larmour the outside backs replacement in his first selection since 2021.

Lock Iain Henderson joins van der Flier on the bench with Jeremy Loughman taking Cian Healy’s place as loosehead cover in the other change to the forward replacements.

IRELAND: H Keenan (Leinster); C Nash (Munster), R Henshaw (Leinster), S McCloskey (Ulster), J Lowe (Leinster); J Crowley (Munster), C Casey (Munster); A Porter (Leinster), D Sheehan (Leinster), F Bealham (Connacht); J McCarthy (Leinster), J Ryan (Leinster); R Baird (Leinster), C Doris (Leinster) – captain, J Conan (Leinster).

Replacements: R Kelleher (Leinster), J Loughman (Munster), T O’Toole (Ulster), I Henderson (Ulster), J van der Flier (Leinster), J Gibson-Park (Leinster), H Byrne (Leinster), J Larmour (Leinster).

ITALY: A Capuozzo (Toulouse); L Pani (Zebre Parma), J I Brex (Benetton), T Menoncello (Benetton), M Ioane (Lyon); P Garbisi (Montpellier), S Varney (Gloucester); D Fischetti (Zebre Parma), G Lucchesi (Benetton), P Ceccarelli (Perpignan); N Cannone (Benetton), F Ruzza (Benetton); A Izekor (Benetton), M Zuliani (Benetton), M Lamaro – captain.

Replacements: G Nicotera (Benetton), M Spagnolo (Benetton), G Zilocchi (Benetton), A Zambonin (Zebra Parma), R Vintcent (Exeter Chiefs), M Page-Relo (Lyon) T Allan (Perpignan), F Mori (Bayonne).