Caelan Doris takes the torch as South Africa seek to settle score

The Leinster forward is the man ready to lead, as he has already been leading this side.

All eyes at the Aviva were on the scoreboard, on Saturday evening (March 16), to see if the men in green could “get the job done.”

However, an element of the Irish management team would have been paying close attention to the man with 8 on his back.

It is widely acknowledged that Caelan Doris will take over the side’s captaincy when father time finally catches up with incumbent skipper Peter O’Mahony. The Six Nations finale was the perfect opportunity for the Ballina native to stake his claim for the role.

Caelan Doris leads Ireland home

The first half did not go all the way of the Irish, with a stubborn Scottish defence limiting attack to the middle third of the pitch, with Caelan Doris often thwarted attempting midfield carries.

Much of the 25-year-old's work was of the unattractive kind, digging and scraping on the deck, rather than his trademark bullocking runs and action-shot layoffs, as the hosts laboured to a single-point lead at the break.

The second-half did not bring many more points to Ireland but the game did open up, with the champions, including Doris, often camped inside the Scottish 22. This was when the No.8 grew into the game.

Some heavy carries into traffic and some big hits had the fans on their feet, but all too often the play would break up shy of the Scottish line by way of a knock-on or poor pass.

The captain-in-waiting got a chance to step up to the mark on 64 minutes, when he took over the leadership role following O’Mahony’s removal from the fray, and he wasted no time making his presence felt.

Just one minute later Doris was part of a tap-penalty move which finished with Andrew Porter being driven over the line to score. Keen viewers would also have noted his conversations beforehand with referee Matthew Carley, reminding him of the ever-growing infringement list of the Scots and, sure enough, out came a yellow car for Ewan Ashman.

As the Scottish resilience wilted in the Dublin twilight, the confidence of the back-rower grew, as he took a lead role in communicating with the forward replacements. His reassuring style could be a key influence in the progression of the younger players like Joe McCarthy and Jack Crowley, with the World Cup in 2027 now on Andy Farrell’s long lens.

Up next, though, are a South African side that will be laying out the red carpet, this summer, before going all-out to avenge their 2023 World Cup pool stage defeat and settle any lingering 'best side in the world' questions.

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