Overjoyed Doris admits to nerves
THERE were many stand- out displays from players in green during yesterday’s six-try rout of the Azzurri and Robbie Henshaw was front and centre as the hosts ran riot at the Aviva.
The Leinster midfielder has endured a career riddled with injuries but the 30-year- old has looked back to his best in recent weeks, backing up an excellent shift in Marseille with a punchy performance alongside Stuart McCloskey yesterday.
In the injury-enforced absence of Garry Ringrose, Henshaw has seized his opportunity and Andy Farrell hailed the Ireland centre’s resurgence.
‘He’s found his mojo, hasn’t he? He’s back,’ the Ireland head coach noted. ‘He’s on fire at the minute, playing really well.
‘You could see that on the first day back, the first day training. His confidence is right up, he’s his old self and he’s bouncing around the place.
‘We spoke during the week about his combination with Stu, the last time they played together in Biarritz against Samoa wasn’t what it should have been.
‘They both worked really hard to make the team feel right and Robbie was at the heart of that.’
Jack Crowley was another player who kicked on from the stunning opening- night win against the French 10 days ago.
The Munster out-half oozed confidence and showed some brilliant attacking touches with a deft pass and offload in the leadup to Dan Sheehan’s opening score of the afternoon.
‘That was an unbelievable try, to offload the ball from the floor — quick ball from Craig (Casey), nice feel coming around the corner and Jack to get a touch just after he’d presented the ball was a special try f or him,’ said Farrell.
‘I thought he started the game really well, I thought he played really well at No10. When he played at No15, he crept a bit wider and a few errors crept in but we’ll work on that as well.’
It was a good afternoon for Caelan Doris as well, with the Leinster backrower leading his country for the first time on the day he won his 38th international cap.
‘Special and knowing the group we have makes it all the more special,’ he said. ‘We’re a very tight-knit group, this group has largely been together for the guts of four years plus now.
‘The relationships we have are special, and the environment that Faz and Gary (Keegan) and all the coaches have set about being ourselves and being vulnerable makes my job easier and made it easier this week.
‘I leaned heavily on the other lads as well and from a personal point of view, I hope all the people who have been involved from Ballina, the whole way to Blackrock, all the way, take a little bit of pride from this and from seeing me captain the country today, so I’m delighted with it.’
Doris always come across as a cool and collected character but the 25-year- old admitted that there he was feeling the pressure at bit more yesterday with the added responsibility of the captaincy.
‘Definitely more nerves than usual. I got to a point where I’m usually fairly calm on game day and looking forward to it but yeah, more nerves today for sure.’
Meanwhile, Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada could only sit back and admire an utterly dominant performance f rom the defending champions.
The Azzurri simply had no answer to the pace and power of Farrell’s side on another grim day for the Italians in Dublin.
‘They were always on the front foot and after several phases we were kind of waiting for them,’ he said.
‘When they go those 19 points of difference (in front), it’s like the All Blacks some years ago, they just go through their basics and they had 100 per cent of the lineout, 100 per cent of the scrum, 100 per cent of the high balls.
‘And then they just work their rucks in attack and defence with extreme efficiency.
‘ We expected that l evel of performance.
‘The frustration is more that we couldn’t put a bit more pressure on them like we wanted.’
