Playing against Ireland again was the main reason to come back to international rugby according to Nick Easter. England's 37 year old N0. 8 had been in international exile since the Rugby World Cup in 2011. However, Stuart Lancaster has seen fit to include him once more and Easter says one of the main reasons why he was willing to come back was to go toe to toe with Ireland once more.
Speaking to the Mirror, Easter intimated that part of the reason he wanted to end his international exile was to to face Ireland. Easter's last game against Ireland ended up with England winning the Six Nations, despite the 24-8 loss they suffered in Dublin that day in 2011.
Easter describes it as unfinished business for him against Ireland.
But there's unfinished business as well. That game in Ireland, despite the fact we actually won the Six Nations that day, still rankles.
We didn't get ourselves to the right emotional level. We forgot what it actually takes to try and get a result in tough places like that.
England put that right (wrong) on their next game in Dublin two years ago when they won a tight game 12-6 in horrible conditions. Easter however, hasn't had the chance to exorcise his demons, despite the calls for him to be included in the England squad in the last four years, Lancaster only relented for this championship, and made Easter England's oldest try scorer ever in last week's game against Italy.
[Mirror]
