Caelan Doris reckons Ireland have plenty of options to play at full-back if Hugo Keenan fails to recover in time for Saturday week's Guinness Six Nations clash against Wales.
The 27-year-old Leinster back limped off in the 55th minute of Ireland's 36-0 win over Italy on Sunday after taking a bang to his left knee as he carried the ball.
Asked if he had spoken to the Dubliner about his chances of lining out against Wales, Doris told RTÉ Sport: "Yeah, I live with him! He’s rehabbing away and I don’t think it was as bad as initially feared but I’m not going to comment too much on it, yeah, he’s rehabbing away."
Keenan has started 38 of the last 45 Ireland games, scoring 12 tries in that time and such has his form and fitness been that Andy Farrell has been hard pressed to cultivate a default back-up.
Connacht’s Mack Hansen and Leinster’s Jimmy O’Brien may have been next in line but both were ruled out of the championship in January with shoulder and neck injuries, respectively.
Doris, who captained Ireland for the first time against Italy, suggested that Ciarán Frawley, Jordan Larmour and Jacob Stockdale could fill in before joking that James Lowe might struggle with the pace required at full-back.
"If he’s not back for Wales it will be interesting to see whoever is in his shoes and how they go," added the Mayo man, who is a Lucozade ambassador.
"There's the likes of Frawls, Jordo, Jacob Stockdale there, all have the potential to do a very good job.
"I’m not sure [James Lowe would] have the fitness, he’s carrying a few extra kilos!"
On the importance of Keenan to the team, Doris said: "It’s definitely very reassuring having him back there.
"In some ways you take parts of his game for granted, like how good he is under the high ball is pretty remarkable, he’s a very good attacking threat, capable of tearing defences up.
"He’s extremely fit, his level of fitness is unrivaled, really. He’s played, whatever, 38 out of the last 45 Tests. He’s been very durable and I don't think he’s had a bad game in the jersey, he’s been incredibly consistent too."
The 25-year-old, who comes from Ballina but went to school in Dublin, also spoke about the origin of his nickname, 'Bogsy’, as revealed by Jack Conan after the six-try win over Italy.
"Bogger was my nickname in school, Blackrock, naturally enough," he explained.
"And a few on my mates from school were in the sub-academy in Leinster so that got carried from school out to Leinster and then 'Bogger' transitioned to 'Bogsy'. 'Bogsy' is a little more endearing than 'Bogger'."
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