Ball made his Wales debut against France on Friday, producing a standout showing as the reigning RBS 6 Nations Champions reignited their title ambitions with a 27-6 success in Cardiff.
The Australian-raised forward had been all set to make his Test bow from the bench at the Millennium Stadium but Alun Wyn Jones’ late withdrawal through a foot infection saw him thrust into the frontline and he didn’t disappoint.
And, despite having initially only been invited to train with the original 6 Nations squad before injury to Ryan Jones and Ian Evans’ suspension led to an official call up, Ball was part of a fine forward display from Warren Gatland’s front five in particular and Easterby is convinced he can repeat the feat for years to come.
“He’s 22 and he’s got a long career ahead of him. I think he’ll only go from strength to strength,” said Easterby, who brought Ball to the Scarlets in August 2012.
“Jake took the opportunity with both hands, so he leaves the Welsh selectors with a bit of a headache, which is great.
“He’s really set some standard with us this year, both on the pitch and in the gym, and his work rate and work ethic is excellent. He hits hard, works hard, he’s aggressive: he’s developed into a very competent second row.”
