Keith Earls: Ireland will have to be defensively switched on against Tonga

He was a team-mate of Tongan centre Malakai Fekitoa last season and he acknowledged the lift the integration of him and other internationals has given all the Pacific Island nations

SWITCHED ON: Keith Earls during an Ireland rugby media conference at Complexe de la Chambrerie in Tours, France. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Keith Earls has endorsed the Cranberries’ “Zombie” as a new anthem for the Ireland rugby team, and with good reason he explained on Wednesday.

The Limerick band’s music was initially adopted by the county’s hurlers on their march to becoming serial All-Ireland winners, with Munster Rugby playing Zombie at half-time in their Champions Cup knockout clash with Toulouse at a sold-out Aviva Stadium in May 2022 and then subsequently at home games.

Last Saturday it reached the Rugby World Cup when tournament organisers used it at Stade de Bordeaux following Ireland’s record 82-8 victory over Romania, the familiar refrain of “in your head” ringing around the ground at full-time as it has done at Thomond Park and also Cape Town Stadium last May when Earls lifted the URC Trophy with captain Peter O’Mahony having beaten the Stormers in the Grand Final.

“It was nice,” the veteran wing said. It just reminds us of good times really, whether it's Limerick winning All-Irelands, and it was played down in South Africa when we won the URC as well.

“It's becoming a real Irish song now, rather than a Limerick song. I think the Limerick boys definitely set the standard with it and I suppose we're all jumping on ship now, thankfully because we're winning.”

Earls, 35, is hoping to hold onto his spot in the matchday squad for this Saturday’s Pool B clash against Tonga in Nantes with head coach Andy Farrell set to name his 23 on Thursday on arrival in the Brittany city.

He was a team-mate of Tongan centre Malakai Fekitoa last season and he acknowledged the lift the integration of the former All Black and other internationals under new World Rugby rules allowing Test-capped players to represent the countries of their or their parents’ birth has given all the Pacific Island nations.

“Yeah, you know it’s like all the island teams, it’s going to be a really physical contest, we’re going to have to be really switched on in defence. Some really incredibly good athletes.

“I’ve obviously played with Mala for a season in Munster. I know what he can do, I’ve obviously played against Charles Piutau during his time at Ulster. We know we have to be on it or else we’ll get punished.”

Earls is playing in his fourth World Cup, as are fellow Test centurions Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton and despite Ireland’s unwanted record of never having won a quarter-final the wing can take plenty of positive memories from his experiences since his 2011 tournament debut in New Zealand.

“We’ve had some good wins. When you think about 2011, beating Australia down in Eden Park, beating France in Cardiff, you know they are special moments, you’re living with each other for a couple of weeks and it’s different than a Six Nations where you know it’s game after game, it’s all high pressure again.

“We’ve had some great moments along the line and I suppose we’re creating good memories off the field as well which is great. Something we’ve never had in the past is our families coming over which is great, coming over that they can experience it all with us as well.

Earls added of the current World Cup camp: “It’s definitely a bit more relaxed, I think, in the environment. We know how to deal with pressure a lot better now as a group. We know how big these tournaments are, we have a good welcome in Tours, it’s been great.”