School daze still resonates for Earls
He has a deep and abiding affection for the competition and even though he is now a Lion, an Irish international and key member of the Munster team, Earls readily admits that he wouldn’t swap the senior schools cup medal he picked up with St Munchin’s in 2006 for anything.
As befits a youngster born in Moyross, Keith linked up with Thomond RFC from the age of eight. And as the son of the outstanding Young Munster and Munster wing-forward Ger, the open side of the scrum was his first choice of position.
He spent his first secondary school year at St Munchin’s before reverting to St Nessan’s, which was more or less on his doorstep.
“I played Junior Cup there and we were beaten by Castletroy the round before the quarter-finals,” he recalled. “I played number seven at that time and I have to admit I wasn’t that great so I moved out to the centre. There wasn’t much more rugby in Nessan’s after that, it faded away a bit, and I had the opportunity to go back to Munchin’s in fifth year and I took it.
“The only reason I went there was to try and win a Senior Cup because I wasn’t really interested in school. We were beaten the first year in the semi-final by Christians at Musgrave Park. Ger Slattery, who now plays with Young Munster, was in that side and I remember seeing him play Senior Cup when he was only 16.
“I watched him one day on the Chorus channel on the telly and thought, jeez, I want to be there in front of a big crowd at Thomond Park. All you think of from September onwards is the Senior Cup.”
The disappointment of that defeat in 2005 was acute but there was to be ample compensation within 12 months. Keith recalls how Munchin’s beat Rockwell comfortably enough in the quarter-final in 2006 but that game has a special resonance for him.!
“I actually got sent off that day,” he says with a wry grin. “I thought my cup dream was over. There was a bit of a fight and the touch judge told the ref I was the main suspect which I wasn’t. Ger Sla was on the ground and his hands were locked up and he was getting a few digs. So I came in and pushed and your man threw a dig at me and I threw a dig and a few others came in and I being the third man in kind of did for me.
“But we had video evidence … Liam Óg Murphy’s mother is American and you know what they are like, out with their camcorders and stuff and I ended up only getting a week’s suspension. We had a tough game against Crescent in the semi-final, they had Andrew Burke who was only 15 at the time and he was the next big thing coming through. They had a great side and we scraped through them.”
Ever before that campaign began, Earls was recognised as one of the most dangerous centre three-quarters in the schools game. International recognition came his way as a matter of course but he still coveted that Senior Cup medal. The final opposition, however, was provided by mighty Pres and Munchin’s, as is usually the case, were the underdogs. However, Earls was to prove the difference as he provided the touch of genius that separated the sides at the finish. Modestly, though, he revisited the game’s decisive moment differently from the general perception in a 7-3 victory.
“Eamonn Broderick made a break up the pitch, drew the full-back and put me under the posts,” he insisted.
“Although he was a hooker, Ger Slattery took the conversion that put us four points ahead. Pres were camped on our line for the whole second half. They got a few penalties but they couldn’t go for the kicks because we were four ahead. In fairness, our forwards kept them out, we got up the pitch and the ref blew the final whistle.
“It was St Patrick’s Day and the celebrations were massive. It was a big goal achieved. It was really the first serious trophy I had won and I was over the moon, really delighted. John Broderick and Pat Cross were good coaches. Their man management was brilliant and they did whatever they had to do to make us win. It will always be one of the highlights of my career.
“Even in the Munster squad now, you talk to Jerry Flannery and the likes, they’re gutted they haven’t a Senior Schools Cup medal and these are guys with Grand Slam medals and Heineken Cup medals. It’s something very special and I love to remind them of what they’re missing.”
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