What Caelan Doris's injury could mean for Lions captain choice

Extra.ie​

06-05-2025

Caelan Doris has endured a crushing blow to his Lions dream after sustaining a potentially season-ending injury.
The Leinster skipper suffered a shoulder injury that Jacques Nienaber believed to be 'quite serious' during the second half of his side's shock Champions Cup semi-final loss to Northampton on Saturday.
With Andy Farrell's Lions squad due to be revealed later this week, Doris's selection looks unlikely as he now looks set for an operation on his shoulder. Caelan Doris has endured a crushing blow to his Lions dream after sustaining a season-ending injury. Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland
Doris has been Ireland captain since replacing Johnny Sexton in the role at the beginning of last year.
Having established himself in a leading role at international level under Farrell – on top of taking on captain duties with Leinster – Doris was viewed as a shoo-in to lead the Lions.
However, injury has now ruled that a pipe dream – and Farrell will now quickly return to the drawing board and opt for a different leader. Lions head coach Andy Farrell. Pic:Here are some of the alternatives he may be pondering as captain: Maro Itoje. Pic:The vastly experienced lock is a veteran of two Lions tours and was the youngest player named in the squad for the 2017 tour of New Zealand at 22 years of age.
Having been selected once again for the 2021 tour of South Africa, Itoje went on to be named Lions Player of the series by his fellow professionals.
He captained the England U20 team back in 2014 and in January of this year, he was finally named the skipper of the senior international side, and the fulfilment of those duties with England could add to his stock as a viable option to take on those responsibilities with the Lions. Jac Morgan. Pic:Jac Morgan took on the role of Wales co-captain just 18 months on from making his international debut.
He performed that role alongside Dewi Lake and has already notched tries against Portugal and Australia.
A versatile backrower, is inclusion in Farrell's squad looks a banker – and his credentials certainly leave him with an outside chance of captaining the side on his tour debut – a feat last achieved by Wales legend Gareth Thomas during the 2005 tour of New Zealand. Tadhg Beirne. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
If Farrell is of the same persuasion regarding captaincy as he was when selecting an Irish-heavy coaching backroom team, then Beirne could pop up as an alternative captain – gilded with experience and know-how.
Beirne has been a standout performer for Ireland for more than half a decade and remains an influential and often inspirational part of every big occasion in the green jersey.
Meanwhile, at club level, Beirne has captained Munster since taking over from Peter O'Mahony in September 2024.
O'Mahony's future beyond the end of the season at Munster looks uncertain but after his recent international retirement, he could be well placed as a former Lions captain to offer counsel to a figure like Beirne if Farrell was to ask him to perform the role.