Captain class: Doris enjoying new leadership role with Ireland

The Leinster man is preparing to face four southern hemisphere sides next month.

Fri, 25 Oct, 2024 - 07:42

Simon Lewis

Caelan Doris’s ascendancy to the Ireland captaincy for the upcoming Autumn Nations Series may have seemed just a matter of time but the Leinster back-rower admits to moments of self-doubt when he began to emerge as a potential leader.

The 26-year-old from Ballina appears to the manor born as skipper for the home Tests against New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji and Australia in the IRFU 150th Anniversary match on November 30. Certainly his appointment by head coach Andy Farrell on Wednesday, with Six Nations-winning and summer tour captain Peter O’Mahony in the squad but injured and unavailable to face the All Blacks on Friday, November 8, seemed a no-brainer. Doris had captained twice before, in the 2023 Six Nations round-two win over Italy last February and in the series-levelling, second Test victory over World Champions South Africa in Durban last July and has since been appointed Leinster skipper by Leo Cullen, succeeding last season’s co-captains Garry Ringrose and James Ryan.