Doris: There’s No Second Chance Here, A Fast Start Is Important Again

A blockbuster Celtic derby between Ireland and Scotland will set the tone for ‘Super Saturday’, kicking off at 2.10pm at a sold-out Aviva Stadium. Wales and Italy will then take centre stage in Cardiff, before France and England bring the curtain down under the floodlights in Paris.

Andy Farrell’s men trail Scotland and leaders France by two points heading into the final round, but could leapfrog both teams if results go their way. First things first, a fourth successive win of the campaign is the target, which would see them retain the Triple Crown.

Speaking after the Captain’s Run, Doris said: “Weeks like this, there’s a ton of motivation, a ton of excitement about the place. There’s been a good buzz in camp all week, Came back in Sunday night, Monday, and there’s been very good excitement about tomorrow.

“Understandably so with what’s at stake. Lads have trained really well, we’ve seen some really good stuff, and we feel we’re in a good place to attack tomorrow.

“There are nerves and excitement, and that’s because we care. We know what’s at stake. We know we want to get it right. We know we want to finish the tournament with our best performance yet.

“There’s obviously a Triple Crown on the line against our good old rivals Scotland, so there is a lot at stake and with that comes nerves but tons of excitement as well.”

Doris made his Ireland debut in the corresponding fixture against Scotland in 2020, but unfortunately had to be withdrawn after just four minutes due to concussion. That was Farrell’s first match as the team’s head coach, and during his tenure Ireland are unbeaten against the Scots.

They have met eight times over the last six years, with Ireland’s biggest victory coming in the pool stages of the 2023 Rugby World Cup – 36-14 at the Stade de France – but a number of those games have been very hard-fought, particularly the 2021 and 2024 encounters.

Five years ago at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Ireland needed a late penalty from current assistant coach Jonathan Sexton to edge out the hosts by three points. The 2024 Six Nations concluded with the men in green becoming back-to-back champions thanks to a tense 17-13 win over the Scots.

Doris needs no reminding that it took a lot to wear down Gregor Townsend’s side in Dublin that day, with tries from Dan Sheehan and Andrew Porter proving crucial. Scotland may have to go back to 2017 for their most recent winning performance against Ireland, but they are always tough to beat.

Eight starters from that title-clinching triumph are in Ireland’s starting XV tomorrow, including all of the pack bar the injured Porter and the retired Peter O’Mahony. An 11-game winning streak in this match-up is a proud record, but as Doris knows, it will count for little come kick-off time.

“Obviously the win is the most important thing,” insisted the Mayo man, when asked about the team’s mindset going into a game which is a Triple Crown decider for both sides, as well as a shot at Six Nations glory.

“Like I’ve said before, it’s always process focused, trying to get the best performance possible, and understanding obviously the different permutations that are at stake.

“We’ve had some of those conversations towards the end of the week, so understanding that, but yeah, the win is front and centre of the mind.

“There is no second chance here. It’s down to how we start the game, how we get into it. A fast start, like we’ve spoken about over the last couple of weeks, is going to be important again.

“I think taking it moment by moment and really attacking the game, understanding that the win is the most important thing. Obviously there’s bonus points and different permutations that come into it, but I think how we start is going to be important.”

Scotland will be hoping the rescale the heights of their superb seven-try display against France. Player-of-the-match Kyle Steyn, who scored two tries against the French before going off with a deep cut to his thigh, is fit to start, as is Huw Jones who has recovered from an Achilles issue.

Scottish Rugby has been starved off silverware this century – with their last Championship title win in 1999, and their most recent Triple Crown success nine years before that – but despite a losing start to the current campaign against Italy, Townsend’s charges have impressively turned things around.

Their attack was in full flight at home to both England and France, racking up a combined 81 points and 11 tries, and they showed their battling qualities to overhaul Wales in a very close contest at the Principality Stadium. Their sudden run of consistent results has them dreaming big.

Asked if he feels there is more pressure on Scotland to win silverware given their past disappointments, Doris replied: “I’m not sure. I think there’s going to be a lot of confidence coming from their camp. Off the back of their win and the nature of the performance last weekend.

“But also how they’ve been going over the last couple of weeks, (against) England as well. I think they’ve got a lot of belief in what they do and how they do things.

“We’ve seen that in the weeks gone by, and when we’ve played them over the last number of years. I think they’ll be coming here confident as well.”

Doris has been Ireland’s captain since the 2024 Autumn Nations Series, leading his country on 18 occasions, and to 13 wins so far. Becoming a Triple Crown-winning captain would clearly mean a lot to him, especially on home soil and after missing last year’s decider against Wales due to a knee injury.

Looking forward to playing in front of a packed-out Aviva Stadium again, he added: “We have three home games this year, in the Six Nations, and the fans have made a big difference. The atmospheres have been very good.

“The way we play will hopefully get our fans into the game. I think it’s kind of a bit of a two-way thing. If we play well, we can get them in and that adds to the impact.”