Ireland Captain Caelan Doris Praises Cian Healy’s Longevity Ahead of Record Cap

Cian Healy is poised to earn a record 134th Ireland cap if he enters the game from the bench against Australia. Ireland captain Caelan Doris attributes Healy’s achievement of this caps record for the national team to the 37-year-old’s exceptional self-care throughout his career, calling it a “testament to how well” he has maintained himself. The loose-head prop matched Brian O’Driscoll’s 133 Ireland appearances earlier this month in a match against Fiji. He is set to establish a new milestone should he be substituted into the game against Australia at the Aviva Stadium this Saturday. Healy’s international career commenced in November 2009, also against Australia, with Doris, 26, recalling him “exploding onto the scene” 15 years ago. The Ireland skipper commented on his Leinster team-mate, stating, “He’s a great fella, very popular among the squad.” Doris reflected on Healy’s early career: “It’s funny, I’ve obviously watched him from not quite my primary school days, but early secondary school days and remember him exploding onto the scene and changing what it was to be a prop.” He continued, highlighting Healy’s athleticism: “He was so dynamic, some of his carries back then. We were actually watching some of his highlights during the week from his debut, against Australia funnily enough in Croke Park, but some of his carries were so explosive, stepping, skillset and his longevity has been unbelievable. Like, 134 caps is just wild.” Healy is on the verge of becoming Ireland’s most capped player despite having sustained several severe injuries, including a knee issue that cut short his British and Irish Lions tour in 2013 and a neck complaint that jeopardized his career two years later. Doris reiterated his belief in Healy’s self-care: “I think that’s, in a large part, testament to how well he looks after himself,” adding, “I had the pleasure of rooming with him in Ireland for about four years and he’s up to all sorts of tricks in terms of his recovery. Sometimes sleeping on the ground with his legs elevated, sleeping on acupressure mats, mindfulness and even all sorts of cold showers, loads of stretching. It’s stood him in terms of his body and the ability to stay going at this age.” Doris also commented on Healy’s character: “He’s very much his own man as well. People were saying during the week how he hasn’t changed a whole lot since when he first came in. He’s got his own unique and obscure hobbies and does his own thing off the pitch but, yeah, he’s true to himself which is a good thing.” This upcoming match marks Ireland’s final game of 2024 and precedes head coach Andy Farrell’s sabbatical to lead the Lions in Australia next summer. Following a disappointing performance against the All Blacks at the beginning of their November fixtures, the team secured a tense, narrow victory over Argentina, which was then followed by a considerably more comfortable win against Fiji. Doris believes the outcome of Saturday’s game will significantly influence the perception of their autumn campaign. He further stated, “We’re definitely aware what’s at stake. It’s a big game for us as well.” Doris emphasized the importance of the match: “We’ve the chance to go three from four and improve our performance. I think a lot lies on this weekend in terms of the success of the autumn for us and how that’s viewed in terms of how we get our performance right because last week was good, the first half was good against Argentina, but we weren’t where we needed to be against the All Blacks.” He concluded, “If we can show the progression in our performance this week, I think there’s a lot on the line there.”