You look at Hugo Keenan and Caelan Doris and wonder, ‘Who the hell do you think you are?’

Patrick McCarry

Every challenge thrown at them, and their team, they meet it with a better one.

As Hugo Keenan hared in to clear up a tricky defensive situation, then gallop off for another 15-metres gain, I honestly tried to think of a time he had played poorly in a green jersey. Caelan Doris, meanwhile, was putting in the sort of 80+ minute effort that made Jamie Heaslip and CJ Stander such popular players.

Keenan is two years older than Doris [26 to his teammate’s 24] but both have only been in Test rugby since 2020. On Saturday, against a France side that have claims on being considered the best in the world, both lads looked as though they had been around the block plenty of times before.

The confidence and assuredness, without ever shirking the work-rate, of both Keenan and Doris is something to behold. They are two unassuming chaps, who are nothing but polite and giving when doing their media or corporate duties, or mixing with fans young and old. Put them in a big game cauldron, though, and they both come alive.

Against France, James Lowe, Garry Ringrose, Tadhg Beirne and Johnny Sexton all had fine games. The supporting cast was solid, the bench made an impact and everyone played a role. Still, Keenan and Doris were a class apart. If every there was a case for sharing a Man of the Match award, it was Saturday at the Aviva Stadium.

Ireland players, from left, Dan Sheehan, Caelan Doris and Hugo Keenan. (Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile)

‘World’s Best’ praise for Caelan Doris

On Saturday, Hugo Keenan and Caelan Doris – as fullback and No.8 – combined for 279 metres gained off 36 carries, two clean breaks, two offloads, five defenders beaten, a try assist (for Ringrose) and a try.

Keenan was the epitome of the fire-stopper and the fire-starter. Any time France thought they might have their hosts in a spot of bother, Keenan would come zooming in and not only douse the flames but torch the ball back and have them scrambling. He is brave without being showy and a leader without doing any chest-thumping.

Johnny Sexton joked, after the game, that Keenan should have passed when Ireland ran an old Joe Schmidt Leinster play and Finlay Bealham put him through a gap. He had Sexton screaming, to his left, and Ringrose gesticulating, to his right, with two French players gunning straight for him. Keenan backed himself and came up out of a tangle of limbs as try-scorer.

Then there was Doris. This was an 80 minutes of perpetual motion.

We’ve all had these fleeting moments, in our primes or post-primes, when we suddenly find that extra 10% to keep going in the final stages of an event or match. It even surprises ourselves sometimes. It is like having a brief taste of a super-power. What is rare is wonderful.

Doris got exponentially better as the game went on, and he started off really well. He was able to up it and up it, dig deep and find some more, on one of the biggest stages in rugby against the other best side in the world. To narrow the focus, he was mainly scrapping it out against Flament, Willemse, Jelonch, Ollivon and Alldritt. He left them all in the shade.

Another man watching Caelan Doris at the Aviva Stadium, on Saturday, was Gavin Mairs of The Telegraph. He gushed:

‘But what stood out was the detail, physical prowess and energy of Ireland’s performance, typified by the outstanding display by No 8, Caelan Doris, who now must be regarded as the best player in the world at the tender age of just 24.’

Who wants to tell Josh van der Flier – who was on-point and dogged again – that someone is offering his crown away?

In truth, there is no tangible point handing over ‘World’s Best’ titles until the end of the year, especially when there is a World Cup to be played out and every side coming into it on a level playing field.

Saying that, the beauty of sport is the ‘world’s greatest’ debates and getting into a tizzy after a flabbergasting game like Saturday.

If we are having that debate, though, I’d like to throw Hugo Keenan’s name into it.

11 years of Kearney followed by three of Keenan. Sometimes, we don’t know how fortunate we are.