Lions Blow? Ireland Star Facing Race Against Time After Surgery

Monday, 05 May 2025 at 17:05

byRugby Rucker

British & Irish Lions hopeful and Ireland captain Caelan Doris could miss the 2025 tour to Australia after Leinster confirmed the influential back-row will undergo a shoulder procedure this week.

Competition: Get a Chance to Watch the Lions in Australia

The 27-year-old, widely tipped as a potential Lions captain, suffered the injury during Leinster’s nail-biting 37-34 Champions Cup semi-final loss to Northampton Saints at the Aviva Stadium. Despite crossing the whitewash for a try, Doris was forced off with around 20 minutes to play.

Leinster confirmed in a statement:

“The full extent of the injury, and implications for the summer, won’t be known until after the procedure.”

As a result, Doris has been ruled out of this weekend’s URC clash against Zebre, casting serious doubt over his availability for the Lions' summer schedule, which kicks off with a clash against Argentina at the Aviva on 20 June.

Andy Farrell, who appointed Doris as Ireland’s skipper ahead of the 2023 Autumn Nations Series, will name his first Lions squad this Thursday, with the test series against the Wallabies scheduled for:

19 July – Brisbane
26 July – Melbourne
2 August – Sydney

With the captaincy still very much up in the air, Doris' fitness could be pivotal in shaping the Lions' leadership group Down Under. His absence would be a major blow to Farrell’s plans.

Players who flopped in their final Lions audition

With the Champions and Challenge Cup semi-finals serving as the last big shop window before Andy Farrell starts sketching out his British & Irish Lions depth chart, a few hopefuls picked the worst possible time to go missing in action. Here are five contenders who flopped when it mattered most…

Sam Prendergast (Leinster/Ireland) –
Lamb to the slaughter

Hailed by many as the next big thing in Irish rugby, Prendergast’s audition for Gatland turned into a horror show. Within eight minutes, he’d been caught napping for a turnover and then served up a gift-wrapped try for Northampton with a poor kick.

The Saints back row swarmed him all game, and while he did land a beauty of a pass to send Tommy O’Brien over, he was then embarrassingly burned on the outside by teenager Henry Pollock. Missed vital kicks too — including one that could’ve tied the game in the dying minutes. Harsh lesson on the big stage.

Hugo Keenan (Leinster/Ireland) – Mr. Reliable unravels

Normally so dependable at the back, Keenan chose the worst time to have a rare off-day. While he showed flashes going forward, it was his defence that let him down.

His fumble under a high ball handed Tommy Freeman a third try on a silver platter. For a man pencilled in for a Lions shirt, this was an uncharacteristic — and untimely — dip.

Joe McCarthy (Leinster/Ireland) – Big man, big letdown

The hype train around McCarthy has been building all season, but he failed to get out of first gear here.

He lacked his usual bite in the contact area and was far too passive in defence, slipping off tackles and looking off the pace. If he wanted to throw his name into the Lions mix, this did the opposite.

Darcy Graham (Edinburgh/Scotland) – Starved and stifled

Always electric, always dangerous — but this just wasn’t his day. Graham was constantly hunting for work but saw precious little quality ball.

His defensive work was solid, notably a try-saving tackle on Will Muir, but this was billed as a chance to dazzle. Sadly, he never got the chance to ignite.

Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh/Scotland) – Fire without the fury

No shortage of aggression from the Edinburgh skipper — he was in the thick of multiple scraps, including a meaty confrontation with Sam Underhill.

But fire alone won’t get you a Lions jersey. Ritchie couldn’t influence the breakdown battle and never truly stamped his authority on the contest. For someone once seen as a frontrunner, his stock is sliding.

“Cocky or confident?” – Henry Pollock blasted for controversial try celebration

"Only two Englishmen!" – Lawrence Dallaglio picks his Lions XV for 2025 tour