Doris refreshed after injury and ‘digital detox’

Autumn Nations Series: Ireland v Japan

Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin Date: Saturday, 8 November Kick-off: 12:40 GMT

For a long time, it seemed like Caelan Doris was heading for the biggest summer of his life with the British and Irish Lions.

The checkpoints along the way were all met. Six weeks after his appointment as Leinster captain in September 2024, Andy Farrell chose the back-rower to lead Ireland before their autumn Tests, taking over from Peter O’Mahony.

Farrell’s decision to elevate Doris established him as the frontrunner for the Lions captaincy and that remained the case until the 27-year-old went off injured during Leinster’s Investec Champions Cup semi-final loss to Northampton in May.

Having not had much experience with shoulder issues, Doris hoped it wasn’t too serious. A scan the following day, however, confirmed his worst fears: he would miss the Lions tour to Australia.

It was a cruel blow, especially considering he effectively ruled himself out of the 2021 Lions tour when he opted to skip the Six Nations to address concussion symptoms.

Now, though, he feels “mentally stronger”.

“[I was] gutted initially,” said Doris, who returns to the Ireland starting line-up for Saturday’s Test against Japan after coming off the bench in last week’s defeat by the All Blacks.

Just five days after Doris sustained his injury Maro Itoje was confirmed as Farrell’s Lions skipper, leaving the Irishman facing into a very different summer.

As it turned out, while a sizeable cohort of his Ireland team-mates battled the Wallabies in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, Doris was some 7,000 miles away, getting away from it all in the United States.

“The second two, I was doing a bit of a retreat and a digital detox, I didn’t have access to the games,” he explained.

“I watched them in retrospect. It was a funny one because there’s obviously the pain of it, but some of my best mates are over there playing and I’m a rugby fan as well. I was keen to keep an eye on it at the same time.”

While only 27, Doris has a lot of miles on the clock. Before his injury, he played in 44 of Ireland’s past 45 games, 43 of which were starts.

With a busy domestic season contributing to an unforgiving playing schedule, it is perhaps unsurprising to hear that Doris “loved” being detached from screens and rugby.

“The first day was a little bit challenging, you kind of miss the evening scroll,” he admitted.

“By day two, it was great, I didn’t miss it at all. I was reluctant to go back on my phone.

“I suppose separating who I am from what I do was an overarching goal for the period, building more self-awareness and exploration around that kind of thing.”

After a summer spent refreshing his mind and body, Doris is ready to lead Ireland again.

Having returned in two separate substitute appearances off the bench against the All Blacks, he will skipper a much-changed Ireland team for Japan’s visit to Dublin.

The Irish are wounded after losing to New Zealand, with Doris admitting that the team is going through a “reset”.

“There’s been some positives over the last year or two, we’ve had some big wins and big performances, but we’ve probably been inconsistent and not operating where we want to be operating,” he added.

“There’s recognition of that and recognition of a bit of a reset. There’s no lack of belief or doubt in our potential and what we can do.