Caelan Doris says Ireland have deliberately tapped into the sting of Andy Farrell’s infamous 2024 “bollocking” as they prepare for a ferocious reunion with the Springboks.
Ireland’s captain leads his side into their final Test of 2025 at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday night determined to meet the world champions at the right “mental and emotional pitch” – a lesson he says was forged in the heat of last year’s two-Test battle in South Africa.
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Doris admitted the group has been revisiting Farrell’s blunt dressing-down after their first-Test defeat in Pretoria, and the mentality shift that helped them draw the series a week later.
“We’ve touched on that a few times,” he said on Friday. “We didn’t get it quite right in Test one … we got a bit of a bollocking going into Test two, and we’ve touched on elements of that and of the changes from Test one to Test two, and largely mentality. So trying to get back to that mindset.”
Farrell, he says, has once again struck the emotional tone required for a clash of this magnitude.
“Intensity in all aspects is definitely going to be needed … Faz speaks unbelievably well, he holds the room, captivates the attention massively, and hits the right emotional tone … I feel we’re in a good place.”
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For Doris, part of that preparation has been anchoring the squad in the occasion.
“How much of a privilege it is to be playing in this game … and what we’d want some of the guys we looked up to, to see watching us this weekend,” he added.
With the Boks arriving in Dublin fresh off victories against Japan, France and Italy – the last two achieved with 14 men – Doris knows the challenge could not be tougher.
“You’ve seen the quality of what they’ve done over the last couple of weeks … I’m sure they’re full of belief coming here as well. But yeah, hopefully it’s going to be a cracker.”
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Farrell revealed this week that he delivered some direct, personal feedback to Doris and Dan Sheehan – a reminder that even his senior players must keep pushing. Doris welcomed the coach’s honesty.
“For me it was my tackle technique and getting more out of collisions … it hasn’t been as good as I’d like over the last number of weeks, so given the task we face this week, it’s an important point.”
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