Earls certain Munster capable of lifting silverware

Keith Earls was crowned Munster Player of the Year yesterday but said he would gladly swap his prize for team silverware at the end of the season.

Picking up the top honour at yesterday’s annual Munster Rugby Awards at the Clayton Silver Springs, which took into account a player vote and a fan poll, Earls, 30, completed a career sweep of all the eligible player awards having also won the academy and young player awards during his 150-game career in red.

Despite only playing nine games for Munster so far this season, the exciting wing has been playing the best rugby of his career for club and country and has been a standout performer as the province reached last week’s Champions Cup semi-finals and have qualified for next month’s quarter-finals of the Guinness PRO14 play-offs. Earls pipped Jean Kleyn and Rory Scannell to the prestigious award, won last year by Tyler Bleyendaal.