Caelan Doris says Ireland can take confidence from strong finish to Six Nations

Captain Caelan Doris is confident Ireland are moving in the right direction after being denied the Guinness Six Nations title in dramatic fashion.

Andy Farrell’s side were seconds away from championship glory when Thomas Ramos landed a last-gasp penalty to retain the title for France with a gripping 48-46 win over England.

Ireland had moved top of the standings after the opening match of “Super Saturday” by clinching a fourth Triple Crown in five years thanks to a 43-21 bonus-point win over Scotland in Dublin.

Doris and his team-mates then found themselves in the unusual position of cheering on rivals England in Paris, only to have their title dreams dashed in agonising style.

From the ashes of a comprehensive 36-14 defeat at Stade de France on the opening night of the tournament, Ireland finished with four wins in a row.

“It’s been a good journey throughout, said Doris, who was a standout performer against the Scots.

“I think we probably showed good resolve in bouncing back.

“The Italy performance (a 20-13 win in round two) wasn’t great, but we still got the win here at home, and it’s been fairly linear in terms of trajectory since then.

“It’s a great group, there’s depth building there, there’s competition building within the squad.

“We’re moving things in the right way and it’s been enjoyable chasing down the potential and seeing some of the growth over the last number of weeks.”

The heavy round-one loss in Paris fuelled talk of Ireland being an ageing squad in terminal decline.

But they subsequently quietened their critics, notably with a record 42-21 victory away to England in round three and a stirring finale to deny the Scots their first Triple Crown since 1990.

“The Triple Crown, it’s special, “said Doris. “We