Ireland captain Caelan Doris is now a huge doubt for the British and Irish Lions tour this summer following the confirmation he is set to undergo surgery on an injury picked up against Northampton Saints. 

The Ballina-native was all but cemented to go on the tour and was also one of the leading contenders for the captaincy gig too, but Planet Rugby understands Doris will now be on the sidelines for four to six months following his operation.

That timeframe means it’s incredibly unlikely he will play a part for the Lions this tour, meaning Andy Farrell will have to look for a new name at number eight.

Right across the four nations, there are plenty of options to fill the Doris-shaped void in his pack, but who will he turn to?

Well, with that thought in mind, here is our breakdown of the potential options to play number eight for the Lions this summer.

Front-runners: Tom Willis and Ben Earl

The injury to Doris has seen England’s number eight duo of Tom Willis and Ben Earl leap up the pecking order and right into the Test selection debate. Willis would be more of a like-for-like replacement for the injured Leinsterman, given he is a specialist number eight, but his playing style almost replicates that of Doris, too. He consistently makes himself available to make the hard yards in the tight, and blends that with the ability to bash through the gainline with every carry too; and that will be vital against the Wallabies’ back-row of Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson.

With Willis in place at eight, too, it would give Farrell the freedom to unleash the flankers and allow them to fully target the breakdown. If Willis were to start, it could prompt the likes of Ben and Tom Curry or even Earl into the starting flanker roles.

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Fellow Englishman and Saracens counterpart Earl is also a very good option to start at number eight, given his performances there in his Test career. Again, Earl is a player who loves getting the ball in his hands and has that sort of willingness to be the primary ball-carrier Farrell would be after, but he shines more in broken field where he can exploit his pace to charge through. As we saw in the Six Nations too, with Willis at eight, Earl is at his best when he has someone with him to do the hard yards, so he can then save himself for those big explosive carries, meaning he would likely need a big carrier alongside him at six.

In the mix: Jack Conan, Taulupe Faletau and Henry Pollock

Elsewhere, you’d think Jack Conan, Taulupe Faletau and Henry Pollock are also in the conversation to play number eight this summer. Conan has deputised well for Doris for both Ireland and Leinster in the past, and is also a great Test player in his own right. He excelled during the Six Nations, and while it came at six, he forced his way back into the starting XV. Crucially, he knows exactly what it takes to be a Test starter for the Lions too, after he started all three Tests against the Springboks in 2021.

Speaking of Test Lions, Faletau is another with credit in the bank after starting Tests in both 2013 and 2017. The Welshman is also looking back to the form that got him on those tours as well, with some standout performances for Wales across the Six Nations and carrying that on with Cardiff too, and when he’s at his best, there’s arguably none better than him. That touring experience will also be gold dust for Farrell as well, with a number of players set to go on their maiden Lions tour.

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Man of the moment Pollock is also looking increasingly likely to be part of Farrell’s squad, which is announced on Thursday, and he could very easily end up at eight as well. He is more of a flanker than an eight, mind, but he has put in some very strong performances from the base of the scrum for Northampton and was also chucked on there for his England debut. With the quality he brings, though, it could almost be a case of getting him anywhere on the pitch and just letting him do his thing.

Outside bets: Jack Dempsey and Aaron Wainwright

Scotland’s Jack Dempsey and Wales’ Aaron Wainwright are also now firmly in contention. The pair would again fit the big bopper-style Farrell is after at eight, and again, are both excellent players in their own right. Like some of the others listed above, they would also add a bit of extra versatility to the back-row as they can both slot in at flanker too.

They have potentially flown under the radar heading into Thursday’s selection, given the wealth of talent available in this department, but they could be great shouts if called upon.

We must also add Matt Fagerson could be included too, but the Scotland star is also an injury concern heading into the tour.

READ MORE: Exclusive: Caelan Doris’ injury throws Willis into British and Irish Lions selection frame

Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/caelan-doris-out-seven-potential-number-eight-options-for-the-british-and-irish-lions-tour