World class Caelan Doris reaping benefits of cautious approach

The best number 8 in the world, many contend, starts today's game out of position.

Caelan Doris, the 24-year-old Leinster back row, has been shifted to the flank for Ireland's Six Nations clash with Italy in Rome.

Head coach Andy Farrell has promoted Jack Conan, the starting number 8 for all three Lions Tests two years ago, from the bench and the thinking is that Doris is more flexible and better able to fulfil duties at 6.

Everyone can see Farrell’s reasoning for this Guinness Six Nations round three clash but the fact remains that Doris’s outstanding performances in the opening wins over Wales and France only franked the claim that he’s top of the world at the back of the scrum.

"If you were picking who was the best number 8 in the world, he wouldn’t be too far off it at the moment," Leinster senior coach Stuart Lancaster told RTÉ Sport in the wake of Doris’ player of the match performance against France two weeks ago.

The Mayo native, who moved to Dublin to attend Blackrock College aged 12 and joined the Leinster academy in 2017, made 117 metres from 18 carries, second only to Hugo Keenan on the day.

He appeared to be everywhere as he completed the full 80-minute shift for the second week in a row.

Doris was just nudged out for the man of the match nod against Wales by the outstanding Keenan; he scored the opening try and put in 18 tackles in another typical all-action outing.

Amidst the stats there’s the things that can’t be counted: the footwork before contact, the ball-handling skill, the ability to offload after the first hit, as exemplified by his assist for Garry Ringrose’s try against France.

It had vision, control and execution and as he won the contact and worked his body into the correct position to pass/offload for