Conway on Earls: 'I’d have him up there with the best in terms of how much I respect the guy'

The Munster winger will reach 100 caps this weekend.

NICE ONE, CENTURION: Keith Earls is set to hit a career milestone against England. Picture: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Andrew Conway paid a heartfelt tribute to his friend and fellow Munster and Ireland wing Keith Earls ahead of the veteran’s 100th Ireland cap this Saturday.

Conway praised Earls’s grit, determination and resilience to battle injury and stay at the top in the cutthroat world of elite professional rugby.

“Keith would be one of my best mates in rugby,” Conway said. “We’ve kind of competed with each other, not against each other, that’s probably the best way I could term it. We have a really, really strong relationship and even though we’re going for the same position in Munster and Ireland, a lot of the time we’ve been on the wings together which has been amazing.

“He has shown a level of grit and fight that I think is really hard to understand if you’re not with him every day. He’s gone through a lot in terms of getting his body right at times, when it looked like it mightn’t work for him. He’s gone from being a nailed-on starter with Ireland to being on the bench, which is obviously tough for any player.

“Even last year with Munster, having a tough year with his body and Shane and Calvin going so well and him getting back in on the bench for the end of the year, I think to me that’s the most impressive thing.

“As I get a bit older, I’m 32 now, and Keith is 35, you only get to realise when you do get a bit older yourself how impressive it is for guys who are still playing at that level after 15 years of playing international rugby. Obviously the talent has to be there, but it’s upstairs that gets people there, the commitment to their craft, the commitment to their body, the recovery that needs to be done and the grit and determination and will and the want to keep going and keep going whenever you’re hitting your hurdles along the way.

“As you get older guys are coming up, the younger generation are champing at the bit and there is obviously succession planning going on and giving guys time in jerseys. So for Keith to be still going at 35 years of age with his injury history, he’d probably have 140 caps now if his body held a bit better over the years.

“But that is all part of the journey that makes it all the sweeter for him I’d imagine, whenever he does get out on the pitch on Saturday and (he’s done it the) tough way, he’s really dug in and he’s such a good guy, such a good guy for the squads he’s in, for his leadership, his ability to bring guys together.

“He’s quite a different point of view on a lot of things and a lot of the time he’s right. I’d have him up there with the best in terms of how much I respect the guy, how much I like him. He 100 per cent deserves the 100 caps and I hope he goes out and has a stormer.”