OPINION: Take the advice, stay safe and go read the ‘Best’ book you can find

Ireland and Munster star, Keith Earls, who is usually a private person and rarely uses social media, took to Twitter on Sunday to voice his concerns about the manner in which some members of the public have responded to the threat posed by Covid-19.

Various restrictions have been imposed to help slow the spread of the virus, from banning indoor gatherings of more than 100 up to the blanket postponement of sporting fixtures from grassroots to national level.

Pictures posted on social media of people enjoying themselves in pubs and clubs, and other events, have angered some, particularly those who have genuine concerns.

The ‘I will be all right, Jack’ brigade need to realise the seriousness of the situation and while there may be no need for panic, people cannot be selfish or apathetic to the situation. We all have a part to play by following advice - irrespective of where we are located.

Based on the current prognosis of experts, the majority of people will not be seriously affected if they get Covid-19, but there have already been thousands of deaths across the world for those who are vulnerable with an underlying medical condition.

Earls had his daughter, Ella Maye, at the forefront of his mind when he made his appeal for vigilance.

Earls posted: “As a father of a child with a serious respiratory lung condition and many others like her, I urge the public to please listen to the professionals. I will do everything I can to protect her,” wrote the 32-year-old father of three from Limerick.

“Everyone has a part to play. I’m usually a private person but the actions of some people is really starting to worry me. This is an extremely worrying and scary time and we all need to take immediate action. Please.”

The Irish Government moved on Sunday afternoon and may seek enforcement powers to close down places, but Temple Bar publicans then announced a complete shutdown of bars and nightclubs.

These are unprecedented times and it will mean a big change for us all, but there are ways to fill the void, while keeping safe as well like reading a book perhaps - and getting them in audio version means you do not even have to leave your home.

I would recommend two for now, ‘Eddie Jones - My Life and Rugby’ and ‘Rory Best - My Autobiography’.

I admit to not having a fondness for autobiographies, I prefer a good crime drama, thriller or horror but I made an exception in those cases.

I will come to Mr Jones briefly later, but Rory Best’s recently released book was one I had waited on.

Best retired from playing international rugby at the World Cup in Japan last year after 14 seasons of pro rugby. He had hung the boots up on his Ulster career earlier in the year, having captained the Province on two occasions and making 219 appearances.

The hooker captained Ireland during arguably their best period in the game, a time which saw them defeat New Zealand twice and set new records on the international front as well as winning a Grand Slam Six Nations championship.

He also had two British Lions tours and represented the Barbarians. He is regarded as one of the world’s best hookers.

In my time on the ‘News Letter’ sports desk I was able to follow Best’s career with his clubs, Banbridge and Belfast Harlequins as well as with Ulster and Ireland.

I like to think we enjoyed a good relationship over the years and Best rarely turned down an interview request - he even offered to do one with me on Christmas Day in 2018 - or a picture with the kids when we would bump into him on the side of a pitch during minis at Rifle Park.

And while you think you get to know someone quite well, his autobiography revealed so many other things about a pretty special person.

Sporting icons are humans after all, they still deal with the things that everyone else has to in the day to day of life.

When a retired sportsperson decides to write an autobiography, everyone assumes there will be something controversial or a dig at someone else that will provide a few more headlines.

There are various reasons for deciding to go that route or not.

Some may feel Best has skimmed over potential ‘hot moments’ for fear of it standing against him if he was perhaps interested in continuing a career in the game on the coaching front. Certainly Ulster, or another pro-club, could certainly benefit from having Best as a scrum or forwards coach in the future so it’s best perhaps not to lash out at potential employers.

But perhaps it is not in the nature of the person to take that approach. In Best’s case look how his comments about Joe Schmidt’s post Ireland’s disappointing World Cup exit were twisted and turned into something they were not meant to be. Yes, it can come down to interpretation, but we do get a bit more thought around those comments in the book.

For me, it was not all of the rugby stuff which had me really interested, it was the bits and pieces in the background which made this an enjoyable read, how a shy lad from Poyntzpass rose to be captain of one of the most successful Irish sides in history.

Growing up with his family, following in his brother Simon’s footsteps, the sacrifices he had to make in taking the professional road, revealing the demons he had to face and pass. And there is romance too, the love story with his wife, Jodie, and how the arrival of his children, Ben, Penny and Richie, changed his focus as well as dealing with the pain of having to miss out on some of important times with them because of his dedication to the sport.

Any young player who wants an idea of what you have to be prepared to do to make it to the top, as Best did, should read the book and take notes.

Without too many spoilers, while I knew there was a shyness to Best and an emotional side too, I never realised just how much self doubt he had in himself. Above all you get the real sense of achievement by Best and you are actually willing him on to succeed.

In terms of the ‘rugby stuff’ he does give some insight into the various coaching periods at the Province and there is some good story retelling from his British Lions tours. For me it was the off the field stuff I found interesting, perhaps because I had seen him play so much and interviewed him often.

Often the target for abuse on social media, for some of those keyboard warriors, reading this may even leave them with a slight tinge of guilt.

Penned by former ‘Belfast Telegraph’ rugby correspondent, Gavin Mairs, now the chief rugby writer with the Daily Telegraph in London, ‘Rory Best - An Autobiography’, is one for both fans and non-fans of rugby.

And if you are unable to get out during the current circumstances and grab a copy, I can recommend the audible version, narrated by Ruairi Conaghan.

Meanwhile, Eddie Jones’ autobiography ‘My Life and Rugby’ charts the life of the Australian most love to hate in the game.

Jones endured bullying and racism in his playing days and his career also spans four World Cups from 2003 to 2019. It is brilliant, brutally honest and takes you inside the minds of one of the most experienced and decorated coaches in World Rugby.

It had, until his recent comments following the England v Wales game, changed some of my opinion of him, but if you can set bias aside, I still recommend it as a good read.