Munster star explains nightmare build-up to 2015 World Cup clash and lessons he learned

that they can avoid the same pitfalls.

“I remember the

French game, the last group game four years ago,” he said. “I felt violently ill all week going into it. It was ridiculous.

“After that game I said to myself I’d never leave myself get to that stage again.

“My wife thought I was going to have a heart attack with the state I was in and I’ve learned to deal with that”.

The third anniversary of Anthony Foley’s passing occurred yesterday.

That tragedy, Earls had previously revealed, changed his perspective, making him realise that rugby was not the be all and end all.

That goes for this week, too, although it is the biggest game

of the Ireland players’ careers.

“I was working on it but then Axel (inset) passing kind of brought it to light,” said Earls, who last year admitted that he trains his mind every day.

He added: “I’m really enjoying this week, I’m a bit more relaxed. It’s another game, isn’t it? It’s just against the reigning world champions and it’s going to be a massive challenge.

“But if we’re to test ourselves and want to go on to achieve great things, we’re going to have to play them at some stage.

“I spent the bones of my career... I’ve two league medals, but up until the Grand Slam it was all semifinals and quarter-finals and defeats.

“We’ve created a lot of history – Chicago, the South Africa Test series, New Zealand in Dublin. So there’s great confidence in the squad. It’s just to try and keep building on it.”

With experience has come the wisdom to know that if he does his work during the week of a game, he will be ready.

“Maybe because it’s a quarter-final, you think you have to change things. I wouldn’t change anything now.

“I’ve learned the last couple of years that you prepare the same for Russia as you would New Zealand. That’s where you get confidence from.

“Back then, I probably would have changed something during the week, something ridiculous like changing my diet or changing my routine or tried to get better.

“Now I have a good routine and I prefer to be way more relaxed. I think that comes from doing all of my homework, looking at our detail, looking at their plays.

“The biggest thing is if you prepare as well as you can and can look yourself in a mirror after a game, that’s all you can do. Win, lose, draw, it doesn’t

matter if you can do that.”