The second coming of Keith Earls

After a man of the match performance against Romania, Keith Earls has every reason to feel good about life right now but the Ireland wing has admitted that life at the World Cup can be tough, with a young family back at home.

Father of two Earls turns 28 on Friday, four years to the day since he scored two tries in a crucial victory in New Zealand that confirmed Ireland as World Cup pool winners for the first time in six attempts.

The opposition that day in Dunedin was Italy, the same team he hopes to face at London’s Olympic Stadium on Sunday as Joe Schmidt’s side bids to qualify for the last eight at the earliest opportunity with three wins from three.