Keith Earls may have departed the Ireland scene but his presence is still felt by Andy Farrell's young squad, Calvin Nash included.
Nash scored a try in his first start for Ireland on Friday night, as Farrell's men dismantled France in their Six Nations opener by a score of 38-17.
While it may not have seemed it, the Munster winger felt the nerves ahead of the game, and he has now revealed that he got in touch with Earls to share his feelings.
"I was quite nervous now, to be fair," the Limerick native said. "I actually texted Earlsy at the start of the week as well saying, 'Man, I'm up the walls here now'.
"He just said, 'man, you need to enjoy it.' He wished he enjoyed it more. And yeah, that’s what I tried to do out there I suppose."
27 May 2023; Munster players, from left, Calvin Nash, Keith Earls and Shane Daly celebrate with the trophy after the United Rugby Championship Final match between DHL Stormers and Munster at DHL Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Sportsfile
Calvin Nash calls on Keith Earls for advice
If there's one man who can calm your nerves ahead of a big Six Nations showdown, it's Earls, with the Moyross man having been there and done it with the Ireland team for the guts of 15 years.
His retirement, and that of Johnny Sexton, has helped to usher in a new generation of Ireland talents ahead of an attempt on the 2027 World Cup in Australia. Jack Crowley and Joe McCarthy also starred in a win over France that sets Ireland up for a second successive Grand Slam.
Next up are home encounters against Italy and Wales, before Ireland visit England on March 9th. Their Six Nations campaign will then finish against Scotland at the Aviva Stadium on St. Patrick's weekend, when Nash and the rest of the new class will be hoping to show off some silverware.
See Also: Wales Legend Has Theory On Why Ireland Were So Much Better Than France
