TEST RETURN EXCITES IRELAND ACE DORIS

JUST wweeks after rugby’s shutdown in April, nnew Ireland cap Caelan Doris submittsubmitted his Psychology degree paper.

In it tthe 22-year-old used his Leinster colleagcolleagues as participants in a study to determdetermine whether mental toughness affects a player’s ability to perform as capably in away grounds as at home.

With only tumbleweed on the terraces now, his paper feels like a time capsule revelatirevelation of the way things were. And ahead of Ireland’s Six Nations return against Italy this weekend, the Leinster back row admitted: “Playing in an empty stadium, obviously it’s very strange.

“It feels like a trial match at times, it’s important to try and build our own energy.

“It’s impossible to replace the crowd but just by celebrating the small wins and things like that, building a bit of a buzz amongst ourselves is important.”

Doris’ Ireland debut against Scotland at Aviva Stadium only lasted four minutes due to concussion while his return to the Test arena, against England at Twickenham, was for 20 minutes off the bench.

“A hell of a lot has gone on since,” Doris (right) said. “I had a few months in Mayo, a few months of training in small groups, then back into the empty stadiums and all that.

“It feels like an eternity but I’m delighted to be back in. It’s a really enjoyable camp, there’s a lot of excitement about the way we want to play, the ability we’ve got and how we’re training.”