This is the guy rugby fans have been raving about over the past two years. Not just in Ireland, too.
Caelan Doris was a week late getting to the party, but he arrived two-footed through the front door, and left the best impression yet.
Last Saturday night at Eden Park, Caelan Doris tried his best to keep his head up and hold the nods, and snatches of ‘thanks’ and comments as he applauded the victorious All Blacks off the field.
He will have known that his first ever Test outing in New Zealand had been a game that got away. Like so many of his teammates, Doris had looked impressive in the opening 20 minutes, only to fade away as the game roared on.
He had three possessions [two carries, one pass] in the first 10 minutes but only had the ball in his hand twice more over the next 46 minutes. He was not the only Irish player caught in the headlights, but he was one of the most dazed. After Ireland’s 42-19 loss to the All Blacks, we took a closer look at how quiet he had been, and the reasons why. When all the analysis was done, it simply came down to the fact that he had a particularly ‘off’ off-night.
We also argued that Doris, along with Jamison Gibson Park, James Ryan, Tadhg Furlong and more, may not have been at their best, but they were worth sticking with for the Second Test. Most of these men, after all, had been key in the November 2021 blitzkrieg of New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium.
That game in Dublin was the worldwide coming out party for Doris, a player all the Irish supporters knew about but many across the globe were only sitting forward to take notice of. His cantering break into the All Blacks’ 22, for his try, was reminiscent of Jamie Heaslip twisting the blood of Les Bleus, back in 2009.
If the Lions Tour was being selected in November 2021, Alex Goode and Sean O’Brien agreed, on House of Rugby, Caelan Doris would be starting in the back row.
Caelan Doris lets off early rockets
It is because he has carried himself so well, and shunted others aside in the process, since his February 2020 Test debut that we have all come to expect 8 and 9/10 performances from the 24-year-old. There was no question he was worth that second crack, on this tour, though. He may have dipped at Eden Park but he soared in Dunedin.
Everyone will focus on the Jordie Barrett tap-tackle. It certainly deserves a big splash [and we will get there, soon!] but Doris’ overall performance was everything we could have asked for.
He was aggressive and hugely physical from the get-go. Sam Cane and Brodie Retallick may have had the upper-hand, last weekend, but the likes of Doris, Ryan and Peter O’Mahony saw to it that Ireland would win this arm-wrestle. Whereas last week we saw the ABs make a mess of the breakdown, bodies in all black were sent flying from rucks as Ireland made early statements.
Doris’ lovely inside pass to Josh van der Flier produced the first line-break of the game. When Tadhg Beirne made the second, soon after, Ireland had planted a flag in the Kiwi 22 and they did not leave until Andrew Porter had crashed over for the first try.
On 13 minutes, Doris spied a turnover chance at the breakdown, off a Kiwi carry, and won his side a penalty when the carrier did not release. The mob of Irish teammates descending on Doris as he let out a roar of celebration showed you how they knew the big guy was warming up to something epic. Something destructive.
Johnny Sexton kicked that penalty to make it 10-0 before the game entered a bizarre period of big calls and big non-calls by referee Jaco Peyper. Ireland spurned further first half scoring chances, but Doris was mopping up everything that came his way, be it carries, tackles, support lines or hitting rucks.
It was not all perfect from the Ireland No.8. There were a couple of turnovers conceded and not every ruck was dealt with without some crucial seconds elapsing, but this was the Doris we knew so well. He made another turnover for his side, in the second half, before the big play on Jordie Barrett.
Ireland led 20-7 with 20 minutes to go when the All Blacks fullback bounded through tackle attempts from Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw and pinned his ears back. He had gotten by Caelan Doris too, or so it looked. He flung all 193 centimetres at Barrett and got in an ankle-tap that had our Stringer-senses tingling.
That's a huge play from Caelan Doris. The most subtle of ankle taps.#NZLvIRL pic.twitter.com/fah3y595mk
— EK Rugby Analysis (@ek_rugby) July 9, 2022
Down came Barrett and the chance was gone. Ireland would score next, putting themselves 16 clear. Barrett had just been replaced by Jack Conan when Sexton made it 23-7, but he was drafted back on for the final four minutes as a spent Peter O’Mahony was summoned to the sidelines.
As the final whistle blew at Forsyth Barr Stadium, we were back on more familiar ground with Caelan Doris – awestruck praise:
Caelan Doris is having one of the best games I have ever seen from an Irish player. #NZvIRE
— Jim Hamilton (Vice Captain) (@jimhamilton4) July 9, 2022
https://twitter.com/Billbo_j_byrne/status/1545737870287175680
Tonight in Dunedin, it was the New Zealand that were lowered, studying and counting the blades of grass – occasionally looking up – as they formed the guard of honour to applaud off Caelan Doris and his Ireland teammates.
In years gone by, this would have been enough to go on a tear and celebrate history made. However, this set of players want to go further than the one giant leap they have already taken. They want the series win.
At this stage, both sides have felt full-force smacks from the other. They know what the other fellas are capable of.
Next Saturday in Wellington should be a pulsating, brutalising encounter.
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