Offered the choice of playing against him or having RG Snyman as a prospective team-mate from next season onwards, unsurprisingly Caelan Doris has little difficult choosing which of the scenarios he’d rather.
The Leinster and Irish number eight experienced Snyman’s exceptional athleticism, carrying and offloading in Ireland’s titanic World Cup pool win over the Springboks, and can already see the personal benefits in playing alongside him.
“Just follow him around and let him get his arms free and put me in a bit of space, it would be nice,” said Doris with a contented smile.
“Having seen what he can do, he’s had a pretty heavy injury period over the last while and hasn’t played much for Munster, but he does get a shot with them and with the Springboks playing 19.
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“He’s been incredibly impressive and he’s an absolute physical specimen. And he has very good football skills. You hear from the Munster lads, as well as what you see in games. He’s a very good footballer and he’s skilful and capable of very good things.
“If he was to come up to us, he would be a massive asset for sure,” said Doris, not long before Snyman’s arrival at Leinster – as revealed exclusively in The Irish Times last week – was confirmed by the province on Tuesday.
Doris was speaking to the media on foot of him becoming an ambassador for the Galway-based solar energy company, JFW Renewables, and the day after confirmation of the 25-year-old’s new three-year IRFU central contract with Leinster until the end of the 2026-27 season, which had “been in the works for a few months” with his agents Navy Blue Sport.
Unlike Andy Farrell, he didn’t celebrate his new deal in Las Vegas but, having been there to see U2 after the World Cup, said he wasn’t too envious.
“It was class being over there. I had a great time. I haven’t had the chance to do anything yet really, but I’ll hopefully enjoy a couple of days back in Mayo,” said Doris, who will spend Christmas at his family’s home in Lacken. He last played in the traditional Christmas derby against Munster in Thomond Park when part of a 13-6 win.
“If I am playing [against Munster, on St Stephen’s Day] it will be shorter, but I’ll get back west and enjoy a bit of time there. My brother [Rian] is back from LA for a week so the full family will be back together for the first time in a couple of years, which will be nice.”
His long-term deal to continue playing in “two pretty dream environments really” was an early Christmas present.
Even so, it was clear that the possibility of one day playing abroad in, say, the Top 14, genuinely appealed as opposed to upping his market value, albeit to sacrifice playing for Ireland would not be an easy decision.
“For me, it would come in the latter stages of my career for sure, but the appeal of playing in a different country and a new environment, different team-mates altogether and throwing yourself in at the deep end a little bit, experience a different culture possibly. Depending on where you go, they are factors that excite me as well. But it’s not something I’m thinking about now.”
However, coupled with the benefits of the IRFU player welfare programme, Doris believes there’s no better environment for him to grow as a player.
He also has unfinished business, for despite winning a Grand Slam, the disappointment of the World Cup has been compounded by two trophy-less seasons with Leinster.
Of the Pro12/14 titles to his name, Doris only played in one final, the win over Ulster behind closed doors in September 2020.
“I still haven’t won a trophy with Leinster other than behind closed doors. So, there’s lots to do there.”
The arrival of Jacques Nienaber has also excited Doris as much as his team-mates.
“He’s been great. We kind of noticed straight away that he’s full of energy and a very enthusiastic guy. He’s a personable character, he’s trying to get to know everyone individually,” said Doris, also citing how detailed the two-time World Cup-winning coach has been since his arrival.
“Week to week, the analysis he does on other teams is extremely impressive; how he breaks it down. It’s a different perspective altogether. In terms of the ‘D’ system, it’s pretty exciting. It’s very aggressive and it’s going to take time to get good at it.
“He’s open about that. He almost wants us to throw ourselves in the deep end and make mistakes until we get there eventually.”
As Leinster seek that extra one or two per cent in search of that elusive fifth star, it’s also clear that Nienaber has been given scope to not only redesign their defence, but influence a more flexible, match-to-match approach toward selection and game plans, with slightly more player empowerment as well, according to Doris.
“There’s more of a focus around what the other team will do. Our plan is somewhat similar, but with a bit of awareness of what they do, so we can do what we do better.”
The best example so far was that win in La Rochelle.
“It was a very satisfying feeling in the changing room sharing a beer after that one,” he admitted.
For all their brilliant attacking play of the last few seasons, Doris accepts that they needed a harder edge, which they demonstrated in the rainswept Stade Marcel Deflandre against Will Skelton and Co.
“Yeah, I think Jacques is going to bring that definitely. If you look at how South Africa play, physicality is definitely at the forefront. There is not many a harder edge team than them and I think he’s going to try and impart a bit of that on us.
“You can see that in how he talks and how he leads the meetings and he’s very passionate in how we train and almost getting involved himself sometimes. We’re doing more tackle technique as part of training and there is more of an emphasis on that and physically dominating teams and winning collisions. That is all coming from him and his knowledge. So, hopefully that will continue.”
– Caelan Doris has been announced as an ambassador for JFW Renewables, one of Ireland’s leading solar energy companies which specialises in the efficient installation of solar PV panels in homes, businesses, and farms across the country.
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