It’s doubtful whether previous Irish squads could have undertaken such an exacting tour to a country like New Zealand. Aside from being talented and well coached, responding to two defeats with two victories wouldn’t have been possible without the squad’s one for all and all for one togetherness.
There have been innumerable cases of players having to brush aside any personal disappointment in light of demotions, Peter O’Mahony being a classic case in point, and into this category falls another Munster veteran.
[ Sam Cane describes O’Mahony incident as ‘good rugby banter’Opens in new window ]
Keith Earls had been a regular starter throughout the 2020-21 season, but having been a replacement in the three autumnal wins he then missed the entirety of this season’s Six Nations with a hamstring issue. Recalled for his 97th cap in the first Test against the All Blacks for his first start since last year’s Six Nations, he cemented his place as Ireland’s second highest try-scorer of all time with his 34th touchdown.
He lost his place to Mack Hansen in the second Test win but, needless to say for such an ego-free person, there was no throwing his toys out of the pram. Instead, Earls was made captain of an Irish side for the first time in his career in yesterday’s 30-24 win over the Maoris - Ireland’s first in four attempts - and afterwards he echoed the comments by O’Mahony after he was assigned an impact role last November.
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“It’s the best bunch of lads I’ve ever been involved with, with country or club,” said the 34-year-old, which was quite the statement. “Everyone’s quite close, everyone is chomping on the bit and as Andy said, the competition is healthy but unbelievable for us as well.”
Earls was speaking in the context of the squad’s togetherness, and after Farrell had lauded the performances of players like Kieran Treadwell, Craig Casey and Ciaran Frawley.
“Yeah, it’s incredible. You mentioned Treads’ name, I just had a word with him there, he’s seriously impressed me on this tour. I don’t know much about the secondrow but just the way he carries himself and again, what’s Andy’s saying there, Craig and Frawls at halfback just controlled the game.
[ Ireland’s second string impress as they get revenge on Maori All BlacksOpens in new window ]
“There was no decisions to be made out there as a captain,” said Earls with a wry grin, “because these three lads were leading us around the field as well.”
As Earls also intimated, the performance and win maintains the feel-good mood in the squad after last Saturday’s win in Dunedin as focus now switches entirely to the series decider against the wounded All Blacks.
Farrell’s pride in Tuesday’s performance, reversing the defeat of a fortnight ago, was palpable.
“You’ve heard us keep saying that this second Maori game is just as important as that second Test and genuinely it is, and that was because we want to see the improvement in the group, otherwise what have we learned?” said the head coach.
“These lads are training against each other all the time and we’ve seen it in front of our eyes, them get better and the competition in training is where it should be as an international group. So pleased that they’ve their lessons and pushed themselves forward, which was a tricky old affair out there, you know?
“If it had been drier you would have thought it would have been a good way to judge our lads because the inexperience of a side in those type of conditions, especially the inexperience of the halfbacks, was tricky in those conditions. But we felt that was the best part of our game really.”
[ 'No more deserving of a man': Farrell lauds first-time Ireland skipper EarlsOpens in new window ]
Several players have evidently grown in this environment, one of them being Frawley, whose composure as much as his talent shone through in a second outing at outhalf.
“Is that his third game at 10 this season? It says it all doesn’t it? It says it all and I get it, there’s three 10s there at Leinster so that’s why but he’s got a little bit of something different as a 10 for us.
“He’s built like a 12 but he’s got a brain like a 10 and you don’t know until you’ve been in the seat and he certainly was in the hot seat as far as game control tonight. It’s been a great development for him on this tour.”
Treadwell, who will most likely play his fifth game of the tour next Saturday, is another to have impressed Farrell.
“He has. There’s a few lads that’s put their hand up, day in day out, to not just train every day but have no problem at all backing up. He looks like a spring chicken doesn’t he? His energy’s fantastic, he’s calling the lineout, which is something that he’s not completely used to but he’s finding a way within the system to be himself, which is fantastic.
“It means that he’s getting to grips with the group and what it takes to be an international forward.”
Treadwell is enjoying his rugby more than ever. “That’s something that I’ve changed as I’ve got older,” explained the Ulster secondrow.
The lightbulb moment?
“It was when my girlfriend actually said to me: ‘Go out there and enjoy it.’ Before that I was always very much outcome-based.”
Yet even the prospect of being named in the 23 for Saturday’s finale is in keeping with the squad’s collective sense of purpose.
“I’d bite your arm off for it really but as I’ve said whatever happens we’re a tight group and if my role is to prepare the team then that’s my role and I’m going to do that to the best of my ability.”
Then he pauses, and laughs. “But again, as I’ve said, I’d bite your arm off for it.”
