Lucky 13 as eager Earls revels in new posting for Ireland

Keith Earls is really enjoying filling the void left by Ireland’s most iconic player.

With Brian O’Driscoll recovering from a shoulder surgery, Earls has been entrusted with the skipper’s number 13 jersey for this Six Nations campaign.

Rather than be overawed by the task, the Limerick flyer is relishing every second of his new posting. Earls admitted errors in the World Cup quarter-final defeat to Wales acted as a motivation to silence critics and prove his credentials in such a pivotal role.