Caelan Doris
Position: Number eight
Age: 26
Height: 1.93m (6ft4in)
Weight: 106kg (16st 10lbs)
Ireland caps: 43 (30 points, six tries)
Why he’s so important? Whatever about his oratory or communication skills, Ireland’s new full-time captain – he’s done the job in the past, most recently in the second Test win over the Springboks in Durban – is a leader on the pitch. In stockpiling everything he does and watching the way he’s evolved his game, you don’t need to be a keen student of the sport to understand that he’s a generational talent. Power, speed, work-rate and, when at his best, top-class footwork makes him an irresistible presence in attack and a primary gain-line breaker. Joe McCarthy’s arrival has lessened that load somewhat. Doris, who is a principal carrier from restarts kicked to Ireland, has also come to appreciate the value of tip-on passes, creating space for others to exploit. He’s been known to pinch the odd turnover too.
Trivia: He has a degree in psychology. His maternal grandfather, Michael Sweetman, was a prominent Irish industrialist and political figure who died in the Staines air crash in 1972. He recently found a Holy Communion book in his parents’ house in Mayo in which he wrote that he wanted to be rugby or football player when he was older and also own houses in Mayo, London and New York. The second part of that ambition remains unfulfilled, for now. He quipped: “I’ll be a while playing rugby if I want to do that”.
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Ardie Savea
Position: Number eight
Age: 31
Height: 1.90m (6ft3in)
Weight: 99kg (15st 13lbs)
New Zealand caps: 91 (140 points, 28 tries)
Why he’s so important? The younger brother of former All Blacks winger, Julian, made quite a stir when he burst on to the national scene in 2012 and hasn’t looked back since. He made his Super Rugby debut for the Hurricanes in 2013, played for the New Zealand Sevens, before making his All Blacks debut in 2016. He possesses exceptional speed, athleticism and has an uncanny knack of being able to ride multiple tackles and break free. Savea is a nightmare to defend against as Ireland have discovered to their cost in the past. In 2021 he led New Zealand for the first time against Australia in Perth and in 2023 he was voted World Player of the Year. He is a brilliant all-round footballer, comfortable in all facets of the game and areas of the pitch.
Trivia: Away from rugby he enjoys fashion and launched his own clothing range in 2017, which takes inspiration from great sporting teams from the 1990s, the All Blacks and Team New Zealand. Savea and wife Saskia rested their streetwear brand ASAV, which they started in 2019, after their third child Kove was born and due to Ardie and the family going to Japan for his rugby sabbatical after the World Cup in France. But ASAV has made a comeback with a collaboration with Australian clothing merchant YKTR (You Know The Rules). Savea is represented by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports.
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