Howley backs Earls to bounce back

KEITH EARLS may want to forget the day he first donned the famous & Lions jersey, but backs coach Rob Howley is expecting the bitter-sweet experience to make the young Irishman a much better player.

The ball simply wouldn’t stick in the hands of the 21-year-old Munster centre in the first-half against a fired-up Royal XV in Phokeng and his frustration was summed up when he dropped an up-and-under and hacked it straight into touch in his 22.

Ironically, referee Marius Jonker indicated it had not been a knock-on and from the line-out the Royal XV scored their first try.