Ireland's James Lowe has claimed that Caelen Doris' speech before the Italy game was both "emotional and amazing."
The Mayo native, Doris, was the stand-in captain for the Italy clash on Sunday evening and helped the side beat the Italians 36-0 in Dublin. Tries from Lowe, Jack Conan, and Dan Sheehan (2), and kicks from Jack Crowley, ensured that Ireland's push for a second Slam is still on the cards.
The win was also impressive because Ireland beat Italy without a number of players, like Tadhg Furlong, Bundee Aki, Ireland's original captain Peter O'Mahony, and others.
There was a lot to say about who would be Ireland's captain for this year's 2024 Six Nations. Doris, who was in the running for the captaincy on a full-time basis, lost out to the experienced O'Mahony before the tournament started but is said to have impressed his Ireland teammates before the Italy game.
Lowe, one of Ireland's try-scorers in Dublin, claimed that Doris gave a passionate speech in the dressing room, and it made it look like he had worn the armband at international level before.
"I’m sure everyone else is talking about him at the moment. Look, he’s a great dude on and off the pitch. He is a very good learner and a great listener," said Lowe after the win.
"His speech before the game was outstanding—to the point, emotional, direct; it was like he'd done it before; fair play; he took it all in stride and performed outstandingly.
"He talked about how nervous he was—a young fella with a great head on his shoulders. I think he’s going to be around for a long time.
"He was at 7 today, but took it in stride and was outstanding."
DUBLIN, IRELAND, FEBRUARY 11: Martin Page-Relo of Italy is tackled by Caelan Doris of Ireland during the Guinness Six Nations 2024 match between Ireland and Italy at Aviva Stadium on February 11, 2024, in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images) )Doris appears to be a future Ireland captain, according to his teammates. It seems that he will be getting more chances to wear the Irish armband.
Irish head coach Andy Farrell, speaking before the Italy game, claimed that making Doris captain was something that he had on his mind since the World Cup. His professionalism and preparation have impressed Farrell.
"He's someone that has been on my mind, certainly through the World Cup, and how he has come on as a leader and how he has dealt with being an international top-class player," said Farrell before the Italy game.
"Over the years, his story from his first cap to where he is now as a leader and a professional has been astonishing, really behind the scenes.
"Obviously, it's his first time captaining his country, and he doesn't do much of it for Leinster either.
"He's someone who is unbelievably professional and very diligent in his own preparation, so therefore, because he's so comfortable in his own skin, he's able to think outside the box as far as helping everyone else with the bigger picture stuff.
"Even the detailed stuff of his teammates, and we've seen that flourish massively over the last couple of years, but more so throughout the World Cup.
"He's a very calm, calculated type of individual that will have that reassurance for the rest of the group."
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