EARL’S ALOUD

IT’S SAID that Ireland are spoilt for choice in the back row, and rightly so. But how’s this for a glittering all-English cast: Willis, Vunipola, Underhill, Curry, the other Curry, Simmonds, Dombrandt, Ludlam, Hughes, Mercer, Hill, Shields, Harrison and perhaps even Alfie Barbeary, a hooker masquerading pretty effectively as a flank-forward.

And then there’s Ben Earl. With three caps from off the bench launching his Test career at the start of the year, the 22-year-old is near the front of the queue. He started last season with a bang and never let up, rampaging around the field in a style reminiscent of his days as a centre-threequarter for Tonbridge School. Busting the tackles isn’t so easy nowadays but he still scored 11 Gallagher Premiership tries, the joint highest tally at the end of the regular season.

Forced to leave Saracens to stay in the Premiership shop window, Earl has flourished on loan at Bristol, revelling in the wide channels. You might argue there is no better place on the globe for a spring-heeled loosie to play his rugby than a few strides away from offload maestro Semi Radradra. Yet there is a skill, too, to being an effective support runner and Earl