Caelan Doris : 'The legacy of Irish rugby and how the success of teams in the past inspired us to play'

HISTORY: Caelan Doris and his Ireland team intend to mark the IRFU 150th Anniversary match against Australia in style, and not just by wearing a special commemorative jersey. Picture: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Caelan Doris and his Ireland team intend to mark the IRFU 150th Anniversary match against Australia in style, and not just by wearing a special commemorative jersey.

The Ireland captain wants to ensure the milestone is more than just a number as a sold-out Aviva Stadium prepares to welcome back former head coach and current Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt for his first game in Dublin since ending his highly successful nine-year term in Irish Rugby in 2019.

Schmidt’s role at the helm of both Leinster and Ireland between 2010 and 2019 was one of the highlights of the IRFU’s gala dinner at the RDS on Friday night as the governing body for game on the island of Ireland continues its celebrations to mark the nation’s inaugural men’s international rugby match, against England on February 15, 1875.

The dinner for 1600 guests featured on-stage appearances by Ireland’s surviving Grand Slam-winning captains, Brian O’Driscoll (2009), Fiona Coghlan (2014), Rory Best (2018) and Johnny Sexton (2023) while the 1948 Grand Slam captain Karl Mullen was honoured.

Doris revealed that Ireland’s rugby past was a regular topic of conversation within the national team camp.

“It’s been touched on quite a bit, the history, not just this week but generally it’s something we talk about,” the captain said. “The legacy of Irish rugby and how the success of teams in the past inspired us to play and how we want to inspire the next generation through how we play.

“The jersey definitely means a lot to us. It’s a pretty cool one we get to wear this week, a little bit of a retro style to it, which will be nice. But it’s important and it’s an extra motivation for us, definitely.” 

There will be further history made when Cian Healy makes an appearance off the bench for his 134th Test cap, eclipsing O’Driscoll’s record with head coach Andy Farrell ensuring the achievement has been properly recognised, arranging for 1982 Triple Crown-winning fly-half Ollie Campbell to present the team’s jersey on Thursday night.

“It’s huge, it’s a huge privilege for us all,” Farrell said before the event. “We’ve Ollie Campbell coming in, presenting the one-off jerseys we’re going to use – they’re beautiful jerseys aren’t they? Very nice.

“So it’s a privilege for us because we talk about our history a lot in this type of position when it comes around on our shift. The 150th anniversary is a special place for us and then you combine it with what’s happening there with Cian.

“What a story, playing his debut 15 years ago against Australia, it’s fitting for both the Union and for Cian and his family so a privileged situation for us all to be involved.”