Overview

• Caelan Doris underwent shoulder surgery on May 9 and is expected to be sidelined for four to six months.
• The injury, sustained during Leinster's Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Northampton on May 3, ended his chances of joining the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia.
• Doris, who had been a frontrunner for the Lions captaincy, was replaced as skipper by England’s Maro Itoje in the 38-man squad announced by Andy Farrell.
• His absence leaves Ireland’s back row without a key player who had started 40 of the team’s last 43 Tests under Farrell.
• Doris’s recovery timeline puts his participation in Ireland’s November fixtures, including matches against New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, in serious doubt.