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How Caelan Doris found 'peace of mind' after his concussion issues

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by PA)

Ireland back-rower Calean Doris has reflected on how he went from a concussion nightmare at the start of 2021 to finish the year getting voted as the Autumn Nations Series player of the tournament. It was February 2 when the IRFU announced that the forward had pulled out of Andy Farrell’s squad for a Six Nations campaign that was starting with an away assignment in Wales.

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Caelan has flagged some symptoms that could be associated with concussion,” read a statement at the time. “He has returned to Leinster to allow his symptoms to be appropriately assessed and investigated.”

Having had a previous history of concussions, a lengthy break was recommended. It wasn’t until mid-April that he got back into the Leinster and even then there was a sting in the tail, a calf injury during a captain’s run scratching him from the team to play Munster in the Rainbow Cup and delaying his comeback another month before he got back versus Ulster.  

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Since then, though, the 23-year-old Doris has accelerated through the gears, re-establishing himself at his province and taking his career to a new level with Ireland where he was at the forefront of the compelling November victory over the All Blacks.  

With the 2022 Six Nations now on the horizon, Doris took time out this week to appear as a guest on The Rugby Pod, reflecting on his eventful 2021 and explaining how a scrum cap is helping to give him some added protection. He also had a message to any rugby player suffering from concussive symptoms – don’t delay in getting your issue checked out.

“I have no affiliation with the company but I’m enjoying the scrum cap,” explained Doris, fresh from last Sunday’s record European win with Leinster. “It’s N-Pro, an Irish company based out of Galway, and they have done some studies. It’s a particular fabric that is shown to reduce force, it sort of disperses the force across the scrum cap which is different to other scrum caps. 

“A fair few studies have shown that it can help with blows to the head and reduce the chances of getting concussed. A lot of concussions are the whiplash effect so it is not going to do much for that but sort of blunt forces to the head, I have found it useful anyway although it hasn’t stopped me from getting my face battered over the last few weeks. But no, I like it.”

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Looking back on how his worrying concussion issues were dealt with, Doris, the ten-cap Ireland pick, was delighted with the level of care he received despite his anxiety. “It [care] is definitely moving in the right direction… the thing needs to be taken pretty seriously and it is being done so for the most part. I was incredibly happy with how I was looked after. 

“I was getting increasingly worried and worried about some symptoms that I have spoken about before. They are heightened by the anxiety around it all… am I hyper-vigilant and noticing it more or is it actually happening, so the anxiety around it was definitely tied into it heavily for me. 

“Taking a break and being looked after by all the best people and having baselines across the board, going forward now it gives me much more peace of mind. I know we obviously have baselines at the start of each season but potentially more comprehensive ones going forward could be an area for development. Even just having conversations about it more and sort of not treating it as any other injury is going to be beneficial as well, just open communication and dialogue around it. 

“It was tough. At the start, I was able to compartmentalise, I was enjoying the rugby and I was playing quite well and on a bit of an upward trajectory. I was able to hide it [concussive symptoms] and say I will be able to deal with it later if they keep going on or push it to the side. What I can say now, and what I can say with the benefit of hindsight, is if there is anyone going through something similar just get it checked at the very start. 

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“The likelihood is you are going to be fine, maybe take a little break and you will be absolutely grand. The opposite of letting it build up and build up potentially you could do some damage and there might be bigger repercussions. So get it checked while it is a smaller issue.”

Getting peace of mind about his own situation was a gamechanger for Doris as he emerged as a star of the unbeaten Ireland November campaign. “It was cool. The whole Autumn Nations, the camp, all the games, I loved all of it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and that was partly due to the rough start to the year I had. 

“Being capped off with being named player of the tournament as well, it was nice although I think the whole of my hometown Ballina voted for me so it was probably skewed a little bit but I’ll take it.”   

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Jon 3 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 8 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

28 Go to comments
T
Trevor 10 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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