Earls has that winning feeling

KEITH EARLS has sensed that Ireland are in the process of building something special at the World Cup that will culminate in reaching the final.

Unbeaten Ireland have enjoyed a near-perfect tournament, topping Pool C while playing some magnificent rugby in front of a colourful and noisy 25,000-strong army of supporters who have followed them across New Zealand.

Adding to the mood that 2011 could be Ireland’s year is the fact several decorated senior players, among them Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell and Ronan O’Gara, are playing at their last World Cup.

It is a belief shared by Earls, who has been struck by the progress made by the most popular team in New Zealand.

“It’s strange, I have this feeling,” said Earls. “Speaking to my father and family members back home...I have this strange feeling inside me where it feels like everything is going right. Everything went right in the group and everyone is so happy. I keep imagining ourselves in the final. I’m concentrating on playing Wales, but it is a strange feeling I have.”

Earls has drawn on the teachings of sports psychology throughout the World Cup and is a believer in the impact it can have on performance.

“Visualisation helps and Ronan O’Gara is big into it,” said Earls. “In the Grand Slam-winning game against Wales in 2009 he visualised himself kicking a drop-goal and that’s what happened. I was rooming with Conor Murray and I was telling him I was going to score against Italy. If you think positively then positive things will happen.

“You visualise yourself being the hero and the team walking around doing a lap of honour. It’s dreaming more than anything but you have to be positive.”

Earls insists any doubts over Ireland’s ability to reach the latter stages of the World Cup have been proved wrong as the squad’s senior players seek the semi-final place that has proved so elusive in the past.

“It’s amazing the way the provinces have been playing. Irish rugby is on a massive high,” he said.

“A lot of people didn’t respect us, or didn’t believe we could go this far in the World Cup but we’ve been playing well and are in the right place. If we stick to our game plan we can beat anyone on our day.”