New Ireland captain Caelan Doris says he hasn’t adopted Johnny Sexton’s “assertiveness” as he tries to develop his own style of leadership.

While Peter O’Mahony led Andy Farrell’s side to the Six Nations championship last spring, 26-year-old Doris was appointed as captain for the Autumn Nations Series.

The Mayo man also took over as Leinster skipper after last season’s co-captaincy between James Ryan and Garry Ringrose didn’t work out.

Sexton was Ireland captain from 2020 until his retirement following last year’s World Cup, and Leinster captain for five years from 2018.

However, even before it was made official, Sexton was a de facto captain on and off the field, setting high standards and readily letting team-mates and even coaches know when he felt something fell below his expectations.

Caelan Doris (r) and Johnny Sexton at an Ireland training session last year

But Doris, whose side face Argentina in the Autumn Nations Series this evening at Aviva Stadium (8.10pm), says he won’t follow Sexton’s example in one particular regard.

Asked if he had been given one particular piece of advice about captaincy, he replied: “As cliched, and as much as I’ve said it before, the ‘be yourself’ bit.

“Probably, initially, it didn’t strike home with me as much because what I saw wasn’t felt what was natural for me.

“I wanted to do what [previous captains] were doing, but the more time I spend in the captaincy role I’m just finding my own way a little bit more.”

Johnny Sexton was known for his straight talking

Asked for an example, he said: “Say Johnny’s assertiveness in training or if a mistake has been made or whatever, going after someone in the manner that he would, which was very much him, and something he had always done but is not for me.

“So, I try and find different ways to do it.”

When Sexton retired he suggested he would steer clear of coaching players he had played with, but he is back in the Ireland camp as a consultant and has been given free rein to do more than advise the teams’ out-halves and kickers.

“It’s a strange one for him because it’s only a year since he was in as a player, and he’s not quite a full-time coach anyway, so it is a funny one for him,” Doris told RTÉ Sport.

“But someone like him, the respect group has for him and the IP he has, the reputation and the respect everyone has for him, he’s so good to have around.

“He’s not overly involved in meetings and whatnot; it’s more one-on-ones and the kicking and a lot of chats with the 10s.

“He’s there and he’s around the team room for lads to have a chat with and pull on his experience.”

Sam Prendergast at Ireland training on Thursday

One of the players pulling on Sexton’s experience is Sam Prendergast. The Leinster out-half will likely make his debut this evening after taking Ciarán Frawley’s place on the bench.

A breakout star of the U20s Grand Slam in 2023, Prendergast has quickly moved up the ranks at Leinster where he has made 20 appearances over the last three seasons.

“I watched him at 20s. That was probably the first time I became aware of him and then as he transitioned in,” said Doris of the Kildare man.

“He’s a pretty confident guy. Even in his first few sessions he was trying things.

“He’s an unbelievable player. Some of the things he does in training, it’s pretty unique. He’s probably one of the most s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ful guys I’ve come across.

“He can pull a rabbit out of a hat but he’s also calmer and making the right decisions a little bit now and playing what’s in front of him and not always trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat.

“He’s finding the balance there in terms of controlling a game, making the right decisions, bringing the best out of other people but also capable of a bit of magic.

“The message to him has been be himself and do his thing during the week and I’m excited to see what he does tomorrow.

“Cian [Prendergast, Sam’s older brother and Connacht captain] was presenting the jersey and he just mentioned that the two of them growing up always had a football or a rugby ball.

“And that Sam was always trying something different, whether it be an offload out the back, different things like that, that he’s proud of the fact that he hasn’t gone away from that and it hasn’t been coached out of him.”

Felipe Contepomi is back in Ireland as head coach of Los Pumas

Pumas head coach Felipe Contepomi spent 10 years with Leinster over two spells as a player and coach, and took charge of Argentina following the World Cup.

Under his stewardship, the South Americans have won six out of 10 games, including victories over South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and France.

They scored seven tries in last weekend’s 50-18 success over Italy.

“He’s definitely gone back to their flair a little bit,” said Doris of a new-look Argentina outfit.

“They’re playing with a lot more width. He’s a pretty creative guy. Some of the line-out plays that he would have come up with, with us, were pretty inventive. He’s quite detailed orientated as well.

“Obviously he was mainly a backs coach but he did our line-out plays and even from a forward’s perspective he would have coached me quite a bit around simple things like catch-pass and taking the ball square, and my positioning as I’m coming onto the ball and little things like that.

“He’s also a great fella to have around. He’s a pretty charismatic guy and everyone in Leinster loved him and I’m sure he’s had the same effect in Argentina.”

Asked about bouncing back by beating Argentina following last Friday’s loss to New Zealand, he said: “It’s important for us to get back on track, to show ourselves and everyone else what we’re about.”