Rugby – Six Nations:Keith Earls was so moved when watching Ireland's last victory in Paris that he was inspired to draw a picture of hero Brian O'Driscoll. The 27-25 Six Nations triumph in 2000 catapulted O'Driscoll - only 21 at the time - into the wider rugby consciousness with a stunning hat-trick of tries.
It was Ireland’s first win on French soil for 28 years and it has been lean pickings in the French capital since.
As an impressionable 12-year-old, Earls was enthralled by the occasion and a decade on he is amazed by his own involvement alongside O’Driscoll in the same fixture.
“I remember watching the game at home on the weekend and then going into school on the Monday,” said Earls. “I remember drawing a picture of Brian scoring a try and having three French fellas crying behind him!
“It’s my first Six Nations start on Saturday and I still pinch myself to make sure that it’s happening.”
Earls’ rapid rise through the ranks that peaked with last summer’s selection for the Lions tour after winning just two caps, points to a precocious talent, who is now coming to grips with competing at the highest level.
The versatile Munster winger admitted to suffering from acute nerves but they have been eased with the assistance of sports psychologist Gerry Hussey - and football great Diego Maradona.
“I’ve been working a lot with Gerry and he’s been brilliant,” said the 22-year-old, who will be winning his seventh cap on Saturday.
“I try not to think about the game until I hit the dressing room. Even during the warm up I try to wonder about as if nothing is happening and there’s no big game.
“I’ll also watch YouTube clips of Maradona warming up. He used to do all these skills and play up to the crowd.
“He was so relaxed but sill performed brilliantly under pressure. I look at that and try to stay cool.”
Should Ireland prevail against the Six Nations favourites, it will be only their third successful visit to the French capital since 1952.
Their long quest for success has not been helped by the previous two outings when they all but handed France victory, gifting them a near-unassailable lead before staging a courageous yet futile fightback.
Irish provinces have long since shed any inferiority complex they may once have endured, as proven by Munster’s 37-14 romp at Top 14 champions Perpignan in
The Heineken Cup in December, and Earls believes mentality will be key.
“It has been a good few years since we won in Paris. We have to go there and get a good start,” he said.
“The last couple of times we’ve allowed them to go a few scores up, but then we have to fight back.
“The first quarter is massive. If we get the first scores it can turn the crowd against them.
“We can go there with confidence - at Munster we travelled to and beat Perpignan even though they had gone on a 23-match unbeaten run at home.
“We have to go there with the mentality that we’re going to win and try to beat them up. We can’t just let them come at us.”
With the match certain to have a major bearing on the destination of the title, there is already plenty at stake without mentioning last November’s soccer World Cup qualifier between the nations.
-PA