This week, Caelan Doris can celebrate on the double. On Tuesday night, he accepted the Rugby Writers of Ireland Player of the Year award at the Guinness Storehouse, while on Monday, he was confirmed as the best non-South African player in the world when he joined three Springboks on the shortlist for World Rugby’s Player of the Year.
He may be an outsider for that gong, with Eben Etzebeth touted as the likely winner, but the Mayo native can take solace from the fact he believes he still has rungs to climb on his own ladder and is determined to get better as he gets older.
At 26, he’s already accomplished so much, and while his focus right now is on Fiji, Australia and finishing November with momentum, he’s able to take pride from his achievements.
“It’s more of a reflection on the two groups, the two environments and the success we’ve had with Leinster and Ireland,” he said.
“I’m a product of the environment I feel, but at the same time I hope a lot of the people from Ballina, from Mayo, my family and friends take a bit of enjoyment from it as well.
“It’s pretty cool, I am happy with it. I love coming in to train every day, I love being in camp. I love being with some of my best mates every day and getting to do what I do. It’s a very enjoyable thing.
“I also feel like my friends and family outside of rugby keep me pretty grounded, I’m still just Caelan the normal person to them. That’s nice as well.”
Caelan Doris after Ireland’s defeat to the All Blacks
He is the first player to be appointed Ireland captain in his 20s since Brian O’Driscoll, and having first led Leinster in a senior match against Ulster on New Year’s Day, he is still learning on the job.
Andy Farrell clearly trusts him and after Friday’s narrow win over Argentina the coach said he had applied extra pressure on Doris’ shoulders in the wake of the defeat to New Zealand.
Doris believes he can handle the added responsibility but accepts the position takes some getting used to.
“I feel like by doing it and by being in the role and getting weeks on weeks compounding, my capacity is growing a little bit. I’m getting more comfortable in the role, getting a little more used to the extra responsibilities,” he said.
“With that comes enjoying it a bit more, being present, still being able to be off when I’m off and not worrying about the next thing and the next thing. At the start I would have always been, ‘Okay, I’ve got this done now, what do I need to do next?’ and preparing stuff in my head.
“I’m a little bit more able to take it in my stride, and enjoy it a little bit more, and know that there’s so many good leaders around me.
“There’s also that element of pressure, especially given the New Zealand game didn’t go how we wanted and then you’re feeling, ‘God, we have to win this week now’. The pressure is framed from the coaches and ourselves in quite a positive way, we know we’re good enough to do it, it’s just about going out there and doing it.
“It’s not a burden, it’s more an excitement to go out and do it. It doesn’t feel like there’s a massive weight of the pressure, it’s an exciting challenge to walk towards but we have to get it right.”
Caelan Doris says he is enjoying his leadership role with Ireland
Doris has been leading by actions, stepping up with an exceptional display in the second Test win over South Africa in Durban. And while he feels he was below his best last Friday, it was he who was leading the last defensive stand against the Pumas as Ireland clung on for an important win.
“That’s probably one of the reasons that I was picked, maybe, the way I play is quite attritional,” he said.
“As a No.8, you’re someone who is in the middle quite a bit. You get your hands on the ball, you’re involved in a lot of tackles, so it’s a good position for a captain to be in, I think. You can have quite a big influence on the game, all No 8s generally do.
“I’ve said before, with the extra responsibilities I didn’t want my game to get as much attention, because I still feel I have so much more in me and have a lot more potential and improvements.
“Over the last couple weeks I haven’t been particularly happy with how I have gone, so it’s still a big learning curve and there’s still so much potential in me as a player and a leader.
“I find it exciting, and I know that by being put in these situations that haven’t always been the most comfortable, especially at the start, my capacity is growing through it.”
Last night, he was able to bask in a little personal glory, but for the next two weeks it’s all about the team.
“A pick-up in performance, definitely,” he said when asked about the remaining November games. “For us, it’s about a level up.
“There’s the obvious thing of the last two weeks, our discipline, so improving that is going to be a big one. We looked at some of our attack and how we can be a lot better with just basics, simple catch-pass, being square, these little things we’ve talked about for quite a while.
“But, as individuals, if we don’t hone in on them, continue to have our plans, they can fall to the wayside a little bit, just get five to 10 per cent sloppier on them, bits that you have to do your mental prep on, pre and post-match, and just stay on top, keep them as primed as possible.
“We’re hoping our attack and discipline will be improved this week.”