Recuperating Caelan Doris remains Leinster captain, but a doubt for Ireland’s November games

In confirming that Caelan Doris will continue to captain Leinster this season, Leo Cullen has also cast further doubt on the player’s recuperation from surgery in time to lead Ireland in their concluding Nations Championship campaign this November. Doris missed Ireland’s three-match summer tour to Australia and New Zealand due to the foot injury sustained in Leinster’s United Rugby Championship (URC) final win over the Bulls. Doris availed of the time off also to have a procedure on his knee, but his recovery has run into complications. “He won’t be playing for us in this period, so in and around November or beyond. I don’t know. I’m not trying to be smart here. I’m not 100 per cent sure yet,” Cullen said.That would seem to make him quite doubtful for Ireland’s matches in November at home to Argentina, Fiji and South Africa. READ MORE“I can’t answer that question. I genuinely don’t know,” Cullen said. “He had surgery and originally I thought he would play for us in this first block of the season, but I think that’s just been pushed out of the loop itself. Exactly how far, I’m not sure.”Doris has been named captain again after an internal process involving players and management. [ Mack Hansen returns to URC action for Connacht after 11 months out ]“Caelan is unbelievably well respected in the group for the work that he does on the field, but off the field as well,” the Leinster head coach said.Leinster brought all bar Jamison Gibson-Park of the 15 summer tourists in their 41-man squad to South Africa. But only Harry Byrne will feature in their opening URC game against the Lions in Ellis Park, Johannesburg, on Saturday (kick-off 12.30pm Irish time), with another four available next week against the Sharks. Max Deegan will captain a callow side, featuring three academy players and another three on the bench. The 20-year-old academy fullback Todd Lawlor, a product of Newbridge College who played youth football for Shamrock Rovers and is a son of former Bective, Leinster and Ireland number eight Phil, will make his Leinster debut.So, too, will UCD’s 19-year-old replacement lock Dylan McNeice, a product of Clontarf and of Catholic University School, from where he went on an exchange to St Stithians College in Johannesburg. Another notable inclusion in the starting XV is the gifted Austrian-born outhalf Caspar Gabriel for his first start. Blessed with a rare skill set, huge left boot, big passing range and bravery, Gabriel’s game was honed at Terenure College, Dublin.“He’ll definitely bring his own slants on the game, for sure. He’s a very instinctive player and then that’s the thing about coaching the instinctive types of talent that Caspar is. But he’s learning to be part of the team all the time, and he’s developing,” Cullen said. “But he’s a young player. We all need to be patient with young players, because no one’s going to be perfect when they step into this type of professional arena. But it’s a great challenge for him now. “Caspar has worked hard over the course of preseason and hopefully you’ll see lots of good parts to his game, which is exciting. It’s really exciting.” Cullen also said: “It’s similar to Josh Ericson at number eight,” referring to another academy player making his first start after three appearances off the bench. The 22-year-old cut his teeth with Skerries RFC and Old Belvedere, where his mother played; his father is a Kiwi. “He’s had an exceptional preseason as well,” Cullen said. “I don’t really like singling out individuals, but there are some young players in this 23 and hopefully it’ll all go well and they’re all helping each other out, and they’re fighting and staying in the moment as much as they possibly can and dealing with all the different threats that will be coming at them.”Interestingly, Andrew Porter reverts to tighthead. “It’s just something we want to have a look at. We’ve prepped it over the last few weeks, and you want to just put it to practice quickly,” Cullen said.“So, do we see him playing there for rest of the season? No, not necessarily. But just something we were keen to have a look at.”LEINSTER: Todd Lawlor; Tommy O’Brien, Hugh Cooney, Charlie Tector, Andrew Osborne; Caspar Gabriel, Fintan Gunne; Alex Usanov, Gus McCarthy, Andrew Porter; Ryan Baird, Conor O’Tighearnaigh; Max Deegan (capt), Scott Penny, Josh Ericson.Replacements: Stephen Smyth, Peter Dooley, Niall Smyth, Brian Deeney, Dylan McNeice, Oliver Coffey, Harry Byrne, Ciarán Mangan.