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When Caelan Doris was a baby his father, Andy, spent 40 days and 40 nights living on the top of the Croagh Patrick Mountain, in County Mayo, where he interviewed thousands of pilgrims about their spiritual journeys for one of his art projects.
Meanwhile Doris remained on lower ground with his mother Rachel, a psychotherapist, at their rural, eco-friendly home in the remote parish of Lacken. It was an unlikely breeding ground for the man tipped to become this summer’s British and Irish Lions captain.
When Doris was old enough to play, his parents would drive him 18 miles along the coast to Ballina Rugby Club. It is a Gaelic football heartland, but it was clear from the start that rugby was Doris’s calling.
‘North Mayo is a very rural area,’ said Ballina youth co-ordinator Sandra Cribben, who watched Doris come through the ranks. ‘It’s basically in the middle of nowhere, a quirky place, out by the sea. The kind of place an artist would want to live. Life is very quiet.
‘You’d have to be dedicated to play rugby if you come from Lacken because it’s a good drive to the club. Back then, rugby was seen as an urban gentleman’s sport, as opposed to a countryman’s sport. Gaelic was more predominant in the area, but rugby was Caelen’s first love and his only love.
‘He left to go to private school at Blackrock College in Dublin when he was 12. It was a world of difference in terms of who he was mixing with, but he switched between the two. The lads got him to come back to play for Ballina when he could.
It was clear rugby was Ireland captain Caelan Doris’ calling when he was old enough to play
Rugby was his first and only love despite Gaelic was more predominant in the area, according to Ballina youth co-ordinator Sandra Cribben
Described as ‘one of the lads’, Doris once raffled off a cow at a local pub – which went for ‘about a grand’
‘He was a horse of a man among children, a fine big fella. He was head and shoulders above everyone, but he was a humble guy. He was just — and still is — one of the lads.’
An all-court back row, Doris was on the radar of the talent spotters of Irish rugby at an early age. He captained Blackrock College, Brian O’Driscoll’s old school, and was quickly picked up by Leinster and Ireland, a product of the Irish rugby production line that Rassie Erasmus compares to precision farming.
‘There’s talent that shouts and talent that whispers,’ said Doris’s Leinster academy coach Noel McNamara.
‘Caelen was one of those that shouted. He played a year up through the age grades for Leinster and Ireland, and captained both. He’s always had a remarkable temperament. He’s an incredibly easy-going, affable character who can summon incredible levels of aggression when he plays. If you were going to create the perfect character to play rugby, he would tick an awful lot of boxes.
‘He was very understated, but his capacity to make an impact was incredible. He was physically dominant at all of those stages and he continues to be so today, but he’s never relied on physical dominance.
‘He has a fantastic ability to influence the game. There are some games where he carries a lot, some where he has a huge influence defensively, there are some where he has a huge influence on the breakdown. He can hurt you with the ball and he can hurt you without it.
‘He’s not a physical freak, he’s just a really good mix. He can adapt. He’s always been very coachable, has high emotional intelligence and can bring people together. Leading, motivating, inspiring, challenging — the captaincy potential was always there.’
Andy Farrell handed Doris the Ireland captaincy last year, taking over from stalwart Peter O’Mahony. Against France on Saturday, when O’Mahony, Conor Murray and Cian Healy will play their final games at the Aviva Stadium, Doris can enhance his credentials.
England’s Maro Itoje is his biggest rival for the Lions captaincy, but the Ireland man will likely take on the role
If Ireland win the Six Nations again, Lions and Ireland coach Andy Farrell will have little hesitation sticking with his guy
England’s Maro Itoje is his biggest rival for the Lions captaincy, but if Ireland win the championship you suspect Farrell will have little hesitation sticking with his guy.
Ireland will come up against a French side desperate to make up for their defeat by England, their title hopes hanging by a thread.
Star man Antoine Dupont spoke on Friday about an inspirational visit from Thierry Henry, while France’s English defence coach Shaun Edwards revealed he had been watching Steve Collins fights and listening to Thin Lizzy as they prepare for the ‘ultimate challenge in the northern hemisphere’.
Ireland are narrow favourites and Doris takes it all in his stride. About to earn his 50th cap, he reflected on his journey from Ballina Rugby Club.
‘It was always a great set-up there,’ he said. ‘It’s gone from strength to strength. There’s new pitches and a new clubhouse now, but even back then there were a number of pitches.
‘I would have gone in with my brother when he was Under 8s. He’s two years older than me, so I probably would have been about five. I grew up right on the beach and my school overlooked the beach. There was a pitch there as well, so during the Six Nations I would have gone down to the pitch and thrown the ball around. Growing up in a rural area was lovely.’
Doris was back there over Christmas, catching up with his mates, raising a drink at Bessie’s Bar. He laughed as he was shown a photograph. ‘They were raffling off a calf, so they asked me to bring it into the local pub!’ he said. ‘It went for about a grand!’
Doris’ parents were invited into camp to present him with his jersey on Thursday and he doffed his cap in recognition of their influence.
Doris, pictured with The Princess Royal, has been reflecting on his journey in the sport
He paid tribute to his parents for their roles in his journey, which they supported throughout
‘It’s a funny one because I grew up in rural Ireland where it’s relatively conservative,’ he said. ‘My friends’ parents would have been farmers or electricians or those sorts of jobs.
‘So I was always like, “My parents are a bit weird” and pushing them away. But I have come full circle to appreciate their uniqueness and the life and path they have chosen.
‘What they have done for me and given me as well in terms of open-mindedness and so much love and support through the years, I massively appreciate them.’
It has been one of rugby’s unlikely success stories, but the biggest chapter could be just around the corner.
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