Irish captaincy might just be the start for Doris

It's no great revelation to state that Paul O'Connell was one of the greatest international rugby captains of all time. The alickadoos amongst us may even argue that he was the greatest leader Ireland ever produced in a sporting arena. But summing up what made him such an effective leader can be somewhat of a fool's errand.

Was it the ferocity with which he pummelled into every tackle, making every opponent feel like they've been hit by a fridge? Was it the fiery charisma that was forged into his character from an early age? Was it his command of the English language in a dressing room when his team needed a shot of inspiration?

We may never be able to define the secret sauce that made O'Connell tick. Imanol Harinordoquy, who had the benefit of experiencing the Munster man up close on several occasions during his career, may have come close to discovering the formula. The former French No 8 referred to O’Connell as "the guarantor of Irish team spirit". A little hyperbolic, perhaps – though it's hard to argue with a man that shared a pitch with the man.

Above all else though, the Munster man was a bastion of consistency. If he did indeed have a poor game, archive material of it has long been engulfed in cobwebs at the back of some cutting room. That's exactly what any coach strives for in a captain – they know that relentless pursuit of perfection cannot be taught. It's an innate element of a rare personality. And while it's still early in his career as an international captain, and perhaps a little unfair to be drawing comparisons, Caelan Doris has shown that he may just have the peerless consistency to become Ireland's next long-term captain.

Moreover, as a Connacht native with roots in Ulster, who was nurtured in Dublin and plays with all the intensity of an aggrieved Munster man, he's a fitting candidate for guarantor of Irish team spirit going forward.

Against Italy, he appeared to have had a relatively quiet game without any standout moment. He simply carried out his duties as a leader with minimal fuss, ensuring everyone did their job and, more importantly, ensuring his own role wasn't neglected. But dig into the statistics and a different story is told. The Lacken native registered nine tackles over the course of the 80 minutes, and though that doesn't seem like much it was more than any other Irish player managed on a day when Ireland dominated possession. He's also fared well in attack, making a dozen runs and 34 metres which represented one of the better attacking performances from the Irish pack. It's all that could be asked of the 25-year-old on his debut as captain. It's also no more than you'd have expected from the man who has probably been Ireland's most consistent performer over the past two seasons.

Although Peter O'Mahony's ability as captain cannot be questioned, that he won't be around forever can neither be denied. The 34-year-old even admitted to the manner in which he almost retired after last year's World Cup disappointment in France only for Andy Farrell to leverage his experience as Ireland came to terms with the post-Johnny Sexfon era. For a few seasons, James Ryan seemed like the heir apparent only for the rise of Joe McCarthy to put his guaranteed starting spot in jeopardy. And with Ireland's underage setup spitting out talent like a woodchipper at the moment, there's an argument to be made that there are very few guaranteed long-term starters within the Ireland squad at the present. That's both a blessing and a challenge for the Ireland head coach.

Doris, however, is one of them, his versatility in the back row and his unwavering consistency making him a likely permanent fixture within the Irish team for most of the next decade. Farrell likely pondered on that fact ahead of this year's tournament, hence the naming of the Leinster player as captain with most of the starting XV being rotated for Ireland's game against Italy.

At the same time, the Irish head coach may also have been testing him for another role for which no obvious candidates are emerging: captaincy of the 2025 Lions Tour.

A tour captain, it goes without saying, needs to be on the field of play and none of the captains of the home nations are guaranteed a starting spot in next year's starting XV when the Lions play Australia. England’s Jamie George is unlikely to usurp Dan Sheehan at hooker on current form. Scotland’s Jamie Ritchie will need to produce a phenomenal twelve months of form if he's to muscle into a very competitive back row. Wales captain Dafydd Jenkins could struggle to make the squad while O'Mahony, who previously captained the Lions in 2017, may have retired by then.

There is, of course, a lot of rugby to be played between now and next summer, and Farrell may still be looking to identify guaranteed starters as his squad board the flight to the Antipodes. Barring a hugely unusual dip in form or injury though, Doris will be in the Lions XV for the first Test at Lang Park in Brisbane next July.

Out of nowhere Doris has not only been catapulted straight into the Lions captaincy picture, he's arguably favourite for the honour.

He'll be 27 when the Lions take off next summer. Brian O'Driscoll was 25 when he was captain on the ill-fated tour to New Zealand back in 2005. Sam Warburton was 24 when he was made captain of the side for the first time back in 2013. So, age is clearly no barrier. It's simply a matter of building experience as a leader between then and now, a path he began flawlessly against Italy.

The most consistent man in Irish rugby now needs to hone a new element of his game: leadership. He has just over twelve months to do it – and you wouldn't bet against him.