KEITH EARLS HAS been here before.
It’s the early days of Joe Schmidt’s latest Ireland camp, with the Six Nations in view, but it’s understandable that the Limerick man isn’t getting overly carried away.
Remarkably, Earls’ most recent international cap came under Declan Kidney in the infamous 22-15 defeat to Italy in 2013. Schmidt has called the 27-year-old back into the group on a handful of occasions since, but injuries have been highly restrictive.
Earls is on the road to full fitness after the latest of those, a patellar tendon issue in his right knee having required surgery back in September. His Munster comeback in recent weeks saw Champions Cup appearances against Saracens and Sale, with a magnificent try against the latter.
Next up for Earls is a first chance to impress Schmidt in green as he wears the 13 shirt for the Wolfhounds clash with the England Saxons in Cork tomorrow evening.
I’ve been in here a few times, but I haven’t lasted the week with injuries and stuff,” said Earls at Carton House this afternoon. “It’s good to get back and it’s great to put on the green jersey. It’s nearly been the bones of two years, so I’m excited.”
Earls will line out in midfield alongside the vastly experienced Gordon D’Arcy, with the Irish duo set for a busy evening’s work against the English pair of Elliot Daly and Sam Burgess.
The rugby league convert has understandbly drawn copious attention since switching codes, and Earls admits he’s been following the conversion closely.
“I’m a big fan of Sam,” said the Munster man. “I’ve been watching the rugby league in Australia for a couple of years now and he’s a documentary out that we watched, ‘Slammin’ Sam’.
“He’s a phenomenol athlete for a fella that’s only 26, he’s a lot done. There’s a lot of excitement around him, but I think that whole Saxons backline is exciting with [Chris] Ashton and [Marland] Yarde on the wings, Elliot in the centre with Burgess. It’s going to be a tough task all round.”
Tomorrow’s encounter will be just the second time Earls has started a game since 16 May of last year, when Munster were beaten by Glasgow Warriors in the semi-finals of the Pro12.
That means there is more to come from Earls in terms of fitness and physical sharpness, although he reports that he’s in a good place.
I’m happy with where I am at the moment, bar my lungs a small bit. I’ve only played 70 minutes in the last couple of weeks and I’m just getting my body back to getting used to games and conditioning my muscles and that.
“I came off after half time [against Sale], got a bit tight and hopefully I’ll get a bit more game time this weekend.”
Munster head coach Anthony Foley said after that Champions Cup fixture that Earls’ groin had tightened up despite best efforts to keep him warm during the half-time break, but the player himself insists all is well.
“It got very tight, but I’ve been in with the physios getting stuck into the rebab and a bit of soft tissue stuff. It’s been fine, it’s just a conditioning thing. The weekend was my first start in eight months, so something was bound to seize up.”
Earls calmly batted away the age old question of playing at outside centre versus lining up on the wing, instead stating that he’s simply “happy to be injury free.”
The former St. Nessan’s student says tomorrow’s Wolfhounds fixture is just the first step on the way to reestablishing himself as an international player. From there, who knows what could happen?
I think going by the way Joe has worked in the last year, he picks his squad and anyone can come in at any stage.
“Look at Ian Madigan last year not playing the first few games [of the Six Nations] then playing against France in the last fixture.
“I think we’re blessed in Ireland with backs that can play in multiple positions, but the thing is to go out and beat England Saxons. That’s all I can worry about at the moment.”
