Caelan Doris confident ahead of first big captaincy test - talk of revenge, he says, is just outside noise
"I'll be very proud, this is a very special group and every time we play them there is mutual respect and this will be no different"
Caelan Doris is looking for a big performance from Ireland against the All Blacks at the Aviva.
The newly appointed Ireland captain insists it about how his team play and that everything else, including talk of revenge, is just outside noise.
There is no bad blood between the sides.
“I think every time we play them, there is a good rivalry, mutual respect, there is two good top sides going against each other and tomorrow night will be no different," he said.
READ MORE: Andy Farrell wants to lay down a marker, bash the All Blacks and kill the idea Ireland are pushovers
"From last Monday when we first came together, it was about our progression, our evolution, getting better, and tomorrow night’s a big test in doing that."
Doris reckons he will be in the heat of the battle across the back-row, specifically name-checking bright new All Blacks star Wallace Sititi, suggesting it is the area most likely to decide the game.
"Yeah, looking at Wallace Sititi and obviously Sam Cane was world class against us in the quarterfinal, and Ardie Savea as well, Samipeni Finau off the bench too.
"Sititi in particular is a young player who has been class in the Rugby Championship and last week again against England.
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"You love testing yourself against other world class opposition and against very good back rows as well and looking forward to going up against them, the three of us against the three of them will be a good challenge. "
Ireland have beaten New Zealand five times in the last nine meetings stretching back to 2016, those wins coming in Chicago, Dublin twice, Dunedin and Wellington. and Doris is hoping for similar commitment.
“We are looking for a performance, I think the first half against South Africa in the second test was pretty good, and elements in the first test as well, there wasn’t a complete performance, obviously, our discipline in the second half let us down quite a bit.
"It’s about pushing the limits of where this group can go and continuing to improve together and it’s very much so been the theme of the last few days."
Ireland are firm favourites to win on Friday night, priced as low as 1/2 in some outlets while the handicap is seven points.
Ireland: Hugo Keenan (Leinster); Mack Hansen (Connacht), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Bundee Aki (Connacht), James Lowe (Leinster); Jack Crowley (Munster), Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster);
Andrew Porter (Leinster), Ronan Kelleher (Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Joe McCarthy (Leinster), James Ryan (Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster), Caelan Doris (Leinster)
Subs; Rob Herring (Ulster), Cian Healy (Leinster), Tom O'Toole (Ulster), Iain Henderson Ulster), Peter O'Mahony (Munster), Conor Murray (Munster), Ciaran Frawley (Leinster), Jamie Osborne)
New Zealand: Will Jordan; Mark Tele'a, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Caleb Clarke; Damian McKenzie, Cortez Ratima; Tamaiti Williams, Asafo Aumua, Tyrel Lomax, Scott Barrett (capt), Tupou Vaa’i, Wallace Sititi, Sam Cane, Ardie Savea
Subs; George Bell, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Pasilio Tosi, Patrick Tuipulotu, Samipeni Finau, Cam Roigard, Anton Lienert-Brown, Stephen Perofeta
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