Bernard Jackman names interesting “dark horse” for the Ireland captaincy
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Dark horse.
Ireland boss Andy Farrell has a tough few weeks ahead of him as he gets set to name his Six Nations squad, and more importantly, his next captain.
Farrell is without a skipper following Johnny Sexton’s decision to retire after the Rugby World Cup in France and has plenty of candidates to choose from.
Peter O’Mahony has long been linked with the role, as have Leinster co-captains Garry Ringrose and James Ryan. While a former Ireland legend has suggested Dan Sheehan could be an interesting choice.
One name, however, that hasn’t perhaps been given enough attention, according to former Ireland international Bernard Jackman, is Caelan Doris.
Doris is one of the first names on Ireland’s teamsheet, playing a huge role in their success over the last few seasons, and at just 25 – could lead Ireland for many years to come.
“It’s a big call for Farrell. I think there’s a strong chance that it’s going to be Caelan Doris,” Jackman told RTE’s Saturday Sport.
“I think there’s a chance it’ll be him because he’s nailed on to start, [his] age profile. It would be a bolter from Farrell.
“The other alternative is that Peter [O’Mahony] comes back and plays and they go for a short-term fix.
“I don’t know, there aren’t a lot of fellas that you’d go, ‘he should be captain’. I think Doris could end up being a bit of a dark horse.”
Who do you think should be Ireland’s next captain?