International rugby can’t wait for you, Earls warns young guns

EXPERIENCED winger Keith Earls has warned his Ireland team-mates that “international rugby can’t wait for you” as Andy Farrell’s men look to bounce back from their disappointing Twickenham defeat against Georgia tomorrow.

Farrell has named a much-changed team for the Aviva Stadium clash as he continues his squad rebuild, and the 33-year-old star conceded the team are in a transitional period.

But, he said the players must learn quickly and adapt to the rigours of the top level so that Ireland can get back to their best in 2021.

“There’s a lot of new lads but having said that there’s a lot of talented lads as well and international rugby can’t wait for you,” Earls said. “It makes you start fast and you have to just try and survive. We’ve had a mixed bag of results. A good win against Italy, that loss against France was again about small margins.

“It’s down to ourselves. Once we clean up our own game and we start taking our opportunities, and we are creating opportunities, but it’s probably that last pass, or we’re a small bit too flat, and it’s killing us at the moment.

“There’s plenty of positives as well. There is fellas getting used to each other. With Johnny (Sexton) being out injured as well, his experience, Jamison (Gibson-Park), Ross (Byrne), Billy (Burns), ‘Marms’ (Kieran Marmion) coming in, they’re all getting the hang of each other.

“I suppose every coach has their own philosophy of playing and their own ways, and coaches do think differently a lot. It’s just about buying in to his philosophy.”

Georgia coach Levan Marisashvili yesterday made six changes for tomorrow’s game, four in the pack.