Friday 6 March 2015 11:59, UK
Munster centre Keith Earls hopes that a good performance in Swansea on Saturday could see him back in Wales the following weekend for Ireland’s potential Six Nations decider.
The 27-year-old made his return to action in January after two years of injury problems and has been busy making up for lost time, helping Munster move top of the Guinness PRO12.
Munster visit the Ospreys this weekend seeking a fourth victory in five outings, with Earls set to feature for the seventh successive game.
The Moyross man has been juggling international and provincial duty over the past few weeks, training with Ireland and playing for Munster, but after so much time on the treatment table he is thoroughly enjoying his heavy workload.
"It has been great to get the run of games to be honest," Earls told Sky Sports. "The body has been feeling good as well; the lungs will come a bit later! I’m getting there though. I’ve been out for around 18 to 24 months so I’m just happy to get this many games back-to-back.
"It was tough watching the lads while out injured because I missed a lot of important games. I got injured at the worst possible time.
"I had been selected for the Six Nations squad last year, only to get injured before it. It doesn't mean I would have played but…. And then for the lads to go on and win it; I was delighted for them but it was heartbreaking.
"At the moment the Irish team are doing well and I’m up there training with them during the week. Hopefully I can get an opportunity to play but at the moment I’m just happy to be back involved and feeling good."
Having been eased back into action initially, Earls has played the full 80 minutes in Munster's last two games and for the Ireland Wolfhounds, and he scored a superb try in the win over Glasgow Warriors last weekend.
The Six Nations tends to cause disruption to the provinces due to the number of players away on international duty, but it hasn’t affected Munster. They are on a four-game unbeaten streak and victory over the Ospreys will cement their place at the top of the PRO12 standings.
"It has been a good few weeks for us," said Earls, who has made 102 appearances for his province, scoring 30 tries. “We have some key players away with Ireland, while Ian Keatley and myself are in the Irish camp as well. We’re then coming down and playing with Munster at the weekends.
"We're going really well though. There doesn’t feel like there has been any transition with the young lads coming in.
"Peter O'Mahony is a quality player but Jack O’Donoghue has come into the back row and done brilliantly, while Ronan O'Mahony has come in on the wing when Zeebs (Simon Zebo) has been missing. They've probably been our standout performers in the last three or four games.
"Anthony Foley isn't worried about bringing in young lads, and that shows the strength of our squad. It's very competitive and while the international players are away, other lads are putting their hands up and taking their opportunity."
Earls won his first Ireland cap at the age of 21 in 2008, and less than 12 months later he was tasked with looking after Lenny the Lion as the youngest member of the British and Lions squad in South Africa.
"To be up there for the last few weeks gives Joe confidence in me and my body, that I can last a run of games."
The fact that Earls has only 39 Ireland caps to his name highlights his injury woes, with his last appearance for his country coming in the disastrous loss in Italy in the 2013 Six Nations.
He didn't get off to the best of starts with coach Joe Schmidt either, pulling out of three training squads, but Earls is now feeling the benefits of working under the meticulous New Zealander.
"Joe always keeps you on your toes, asking questions," said Earls, who has scored 12 tries for Ireland. "I'll be covering most of the backline so I have to learn four of five different positions.
"He's big into the basics like good, accurate passing. My passing has really come on over the past couple of weeks. During our unit sessions we do a lot of passing under fatigue, replicating match situations. I felt I've improved in that area.
"The longest Joe ever got out of me in a training camp was a week. I think I broke down three times in international camps with my knee. So to be up there for the last few weeks gives Joe confidence in me and my body, that I can last a run of games."
Given Earls' versatility, coupled with his form, there have been calls for him to be included in Ireland's matchday squad, but he insists his sole focus is on extending Munster’s unbeaten streak.
"I have stopped listening to people talking positive and negative things about me," he said. "It doesn't really matter. It's about keeping my head down and hopefully getting an opportunity.
"The Ospreys will get a couple of players back from the Welsh squad so it'll be a tough encounter. I was reviewing them during the week and their defence is very good. It's very hard to break them down.
"They're exciting in attack as well. I know Dan Biggar and Rhys Webb (who are away with Wales) are a big part of that but the lads who have stepped in have been taken their chances. They've been unlucky in a few games. They're holding teams for long but just aren’t getting over the finish line."
With Glasgow hosting Zebre on Friday night, Munster are likely to find themselves back in second place when they run out at the Liberty Stadium. A top-two finish would secure a home semi-final but Earls and his teammates are targeting top spot as they seek a first PRO12 title since 2011.
"Obviously in the back of your head you're thinking top four, but you have to concentrate game-by-game," he said. "You can't look too far ahead.
"We've cut it down and just been looking at ourselves, and since doing that we've been really playing some really good rugby."
Watch Ospreys v Munster live on Sky Sports 1 on Saturday from 2.30pm
