Caelan Doris on how Leinster are meeting physical force with smarts
Twenty years on from the infamous Irish football bust-up in Saipan featuring Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy, it is safe to say that Leinster has certainly adopted the “fail to prepare, prepare to fail” mantra espoused at the time by the deposed Ireland captain. Just a few days after their Heineken Champions Cup semi-final win over Toulouse, Caelan Doris was shedding light on the level of preparations by the Irish province for next weekend’s final showdown versus La Rochelle.
Current weather projections for Marseille are that it will 26°C at kick-off time at Stade Velodrome, the sort of energy-sapping heat that Irish people simply aren’t used to. It’s a forecast not lost on Doris and co. “There are a few guys wearing woolly hats and jackets and double layers,” he said about training plans to combat the heat. “It was definitely pretty hot and pretty humid last Saturday (against Toulouse), so having that is a good stepping stone in terms of preparation for what is to come.”
Hats are topical for Doris, who has been enjoying the best form of his young career this season for Leinster and Ireland. There was a time when you feared for his health, so detrimental were concussions to his progress. However, lengthy rest turned things around and his use this year of a scrum cap has seemingly given the 24-year-old some welcome peace of mind.
Unlike your typical headgear, products that essentially look after your hair more than anything else, N-Pro use a particular fabric that is said to reduce force by dispersing the impact across the scrum cap. Doris isn’t an ambassador for the company but the cap fits and he hasn’t been seen without it over the course of a sensational season that has seen him make 20 club and country starts, a figure way up on last term.
“I’m enjoying it, I’ve had a clean run, touchwood. There are a lot of factors, things I’m doing and looking after, like neck strength and tackle tech, so the cap is one piece of the puzzle rather than potentially being a big factor. There are a lot of things I’m doing. A lot of my knocks were sort of glancing blows, so having that little layer of extra protection is going to do no harm anyway.
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“I have had quite a few people (on to me) and I hope that people who are worried or people who are in a similar situation to where I was, I hope that I can be of help to them and point them in the right direction. I would have worn one at schools, so I had a bit of prior experience, but no, it [the adjustment to wearing a cap again] has been fine. It was a little bit tougher last weekend with the heat and I’ll have to get used to that again in Marseille, but it’s been fine.”
Mention tackle technique and perfecting it, what does that involve on the Leinster training ground and how better prepared are they this year to handle the physicality of La Rochelle, the team that dumped them out in last year’s semi-finals? “Obviously, you can’t get too much bigger than the likes of (Emmanuel) Meafou and (Rory) Arnold, who we saw last weekend, and we dealt with them pretty well.
“Some of the work that Denis Leamy has done around our tackle technique – our two-man tackles and things like – has definitely contributed to that, but it’s going to be another huge challenge. Ronan O’Gara knows us pretty well so I’m sure he will be coming up with a good plan to stop us. Hopefully, we have improved since last year in terms of stopping the big fellas.
“On the back of last year, there was a lot of talk about it, towards the end of last season and going into pre-season. It has definitely been a big work-on – that, coupled with the fact that high tackles are getting penalised a lot more and technique is big now in terms of getting your height lower. It’s killing two birds with one stone in a way. It’s more effective in stopping the big guys but also you are less likely to be ill-disciplined with better tackle technique and that has definitely been a big area for us.
“There is very little full-on, live stuff (done at training) so a lot of it is with bags. It’s just about simulating the position. Some of it is just against a pad, leaning up against the post just trying to get the drop to a good height and being in a good position. Some guys might get a few live reps a week but there is definitely not much of that, it’s mostly around technique at a slower pace and then building up a bit to maybe 80 or 90 per cent. There is very little full-on.”
Passing was the other area of Leinster’s game that has been getting great kudos in their latest Leinster run, the handling skills of the forwards often standing out more than what the backs can conjure up. What gives? “When Stu (Lancaster) first came, there was quite a big emphasis on improving the skills of forwards and the ability to give those tip-on passes or those ones out the back.
“So there has been quite a focus on it from the start and we would have done skills mixed in with our gym sessions for a while. Then it is intertwined on the pitch with the more unstructured way, practising the fixed skill of passing and putting it into practice in a live scenario. Definitely, I can see the progression in myself and everyone around me over the last number of years.”
It was in the wake of the semi-final win over Toulouse when Johnny Sexton spoke about the hunger of the younger guys like Doris driving on Leinster to what they hope will be a fifth European success for the club. Next weekend’s decider is indeed new territory for the back row. He was sat at home injured for last year’s semi-final, he effectively travelled as a fan in 2019 while he was away with the Leinster As in London when the Champions Cup trophy was last lifted by the Irish province in 2018.
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“I remember watching it with a few of the other injured players, just a real frustration,” he said of last year’s semi-final memories before jumping back to the club’s recent back-to-back finals. “I remember travelling over to Newcastle – it was Newcastle, wasn’t it? I’d a few beers in me that day. I wasn’t the 24th man, I just remember I went over on the day and it was a sea of blue as we arrived at the stadium and how strong the travelling support was.
“There was an unbelievable atmosphere. It obviously wasn’t a successful day in the end. 2018, Leinster A had a final against Ealing on the same day we played Racing, so I wasn’t there for that one. We watched it over in Ealing and then we flew back and met up with all the squad in Dublin.”
Adding to the void of final days is how Doris wasn’t a Leinster fan growing up in the west of Ireland when the club won three titles in four years with Michael Cheika and then Joe Schmidt at the helm. “I grew up in Mayo. Rugby was always my No1 sport but I didn’t watch a whole lot of it bar the Ireland games really. I would have watched more Gaelic and soccer and then the Six Nations and the Lions. I’m sure I did watch those finals but I don’t remember where and I don’t remember specifics.”
Having since gone on to become a Leinster mainstay, courtesy of his talent getting nurtured as a border at Blackrock College, Doris admits there a little bit of Connacht is now firmly blue when it comes to rugby. “I’ve won a few over all right yeah. One of my neighbours actually plays for Ireland U18s, Sarah McCormick, and Connacht as well, unfortunately. We have kind of split our local parish, Lacken, between Connacht and Leinster, but I think I have won a few.”
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What would it mean to Doris to become of the new breed of European title winners at Leinster if the La Rochelle fixture goes to plan? “It would be unbelievable. We talk a lot about driving the legacy together and that for me means a combination of the past, the present and the future of the club and recognising how the previous successes the club was built on and how it went through a tough patch, those successes inspired a lot of this group to be where they are today.
“We have the opportunity to inspire the next generation through our successes so in a way I feel like the legacy is in our hands and we have an opportunity to inspire the next generation. There is that level of it but then there is also just the pure enjoyment and the thrill and delight at winning a final. It is definitely something I want to do with this group. It’s a special group, pretty tight-knit with a lot of close friends within it. It would be amazing to do.
“There was a lot of reflection after that week [last year’s loss to La Rochelle]. Tackle tech, the ability to stop these big power teams with bigger guys than us, preparing, not letting your previous game be your best game. We have seen that a bit where the semi has been the best.
“You look at England in the (2019) World Cup, or potentially us last season in the quarter-finals against Exeter, so it’s preparing for each game as your biggest game and each game is your final. We are fortunate that this is our final now and there are obviously massive motivations to make sure it’s our best performance and we haven’t peaked too early.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Je suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
25 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
25 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
25 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
25 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
11 Go to comments