Keith Earls impressed against Wales but needs to deliver consistently, says Alan Quinlan

Sky Sports' Alan Quinlan says the performance of Keith Earls against Wales was encouraging, and urged the centre to deliver consistently.

After a lengthy time away from the team, Keith Earls was given a chance at outside centre by Joe Schmidt against Wales. The Munsterman grabbed the opportunity with both hands as he troubled the Welsh midfield all afternoon, capping his performance with a try at the Millennium Stadium.

Sky Sports’ Alan Quinlan, who played alongside Earls for Munster, believes the performance is a reflection of the British and Irish Lion’s talent, and his focus should now be on delivering those performances regularly.

“He made a few errors, but I thought overall he looked really sharp,” said Quinlan.

“I was really impressed with him. He has the ability to beat players, something that you can't really coach into a player.

“When he first came onto the scene he was talked up as the next possible Brian O'Driscoll - he has that flair and ability to sidestep and create a gap.

“I think Robbie Henshaw and Jared Payne are the first-choice centres, but Joe Schmidt would be looking to add some depth there and Earls is a player who is on his mind."

“What he needs, and what Joe Schmidt will be looking for from him, is a high level of consistency.

“That was the key with Brian O'Driscoll, he was able to deliver it consistently over the years.”

Battle

Quinlan believes Earls has his hands full in trying to convince the coaches of his worth due to a lack of game time in recent months.

“He came onto the scene really early and he's had a few challenges with injuries over the years. For the last two years in particular he's been out of the Ireland team due to injury.

“So it was great for everyone in Ireland, not just Joe Schmidt, to see him back on the field, but it's a battle for him to get back into that Ireland squad. They won back-to-back Six Nations and he was out of the setup during that time.”

The former Ireland loose forward believes that time in the jersey among the squad will have boosted Earls in his bid for a World Cup spot.

“Being in the environment now with Joe Schmidt and understanding what his coach expects of him will have helped Earls a lot as he seeks to improve as a player.

“He was strong defensively, which was good to see. That's an area of emphasis for him - the contact area. He has the natural ability to make line-breaks with the ball, but the thing he's been needing to focus on is when he comes into contact with the ball.

“So there's still a bit to work on, there's no doubt, but he's a phenomenal talent and Ireland will be happy to see him playing so well.

Having played wing and centre for Munster and Ireland, Earls would be an asset to the squad due to his versatility, but Quinlan said it’s likely in the midfield that the 27-year-old will feature in Joe Schmidt’s side if he is picked.

“I know he can play on the wing, and did so under Declan Kidney in the last World Cup, but the fact that he was picked at 13 shows he's definitely in Joe Schmidt's mind as a centre.

“I think Robbie Henshaw and Jared Payne are the first-choice centres, but Joe Schmidt would be looking to add some depth there and Earls is a player who is on his mind.

“You've also got Luke Fitzgerald who's potentially there too, as well as Ian Madigan, but Joe Schmidt wouldn't have just picked Keith Earls to make up the numbers. He is obviously considering him there.”

Heart-breaking

Injuries close to the World Cup could give Earls a chance at a starting spot, but as is always the case, a chance for one player is a missed opportunity for another. In the case of flanker Tommy O’Donnell, his World Cup is already over thanks to a hip injury suffered against Wales on Saturday.

“For any player to get injured so close to a world cup is difficult - his dream is shattered,” said Quinlan of O’Donnell. “Your heart has to go out to him.”

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“Not just because of missing the World Cup but because it's a painful injury; he was in a lot of discomfort.

“He's from my hometown club here in Tipperary, Clanwilliam, and it was also disappointing for all the people here.

“It’s very difficult to take because you never know when these opportunities will present themselves.

“The Ireland back row is pretty settled, so Tommy was in a serious fight to get on that plane, but I thought he'd been playing very well.

“He had a fantastic game and got through a lot of work before the injury on Saturday. It's heart-breaking.”

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