O’Driscoll: Earls an inspired choice

THE selection of Keith Earls on Ireland’s team for the game with Canada has been hailed as an inspired decision by team captain Brian O’Driscoll.

O’Driscoll is looking forward to what could possibly be a new era in Irish rugby with the introduction of Earls alongside two more of the country’s brightest young players — Luke Fitzgerald and Rob Kearney — in a national backline for the first time.

O’Driscoll described Earls as the in-form back of a number of available in-form backs (notably Fitzgerald, Kearney, Girvan Dempsey and Geordan Murphy).