Wallace on road to redemption

IT’S BEEN a good Six Nations so far for David Wallace, another Ireland player showing that the World Cup was, at least for him, an aberration.

An ankle injury restricted his game time following last year’s Championship and seemed to haunt him up to the point where Ireland were eliminated from the World Cup by Argentina.

Mind and body were rehabilitated when he got back playing with Munster and, lately against Italy and France, the 31-year-old looks like his former destructive, ball-carrying self.

His try against Les Bleus was reminiscent of the ‘Wally’ of old: sheer leg strength and upper body power aiding his stretch to the line for a second half score. He has a knack of doing this: his try in Paris wasn’t unlike his effort against England in Croke Park 12 months ago.

But for the powerful openside, once likened to an American running back by Eddie O’Sullivan, there is no time to rest on one’s laurels. Wallace is an easy target for those who favour a ‘groundhog’ at seven, and there was even a pre-Six Nations campaign in some quarters of the media to have Keith Gleeson or Shane Jennings installed in Wallace’s position.

The Garryowen man is aware there will always be doubters but it doesn’t stop him working to improve areas of his game.

“I’m happy with my form in the loose,” says Wallace, who’ll win his 44th cap against Scotland tomorrow.

“But there are so many more aspects to it (openside) that I probably want to get right as soon as possible. Not that there is anything drastically wrong, but there are areas that you want to work on and that you want to keep on top of.

“If I can concentrate on still carrying the ball, but getting the other aspects right, then hopefully I can try to get to where I want to be.”

While the back row underwent a minor reshuffle lately with Jamie Heaslip coming in at 8 and Denis Leamy moving to the blindside, the dynamic between the back row was impressive in Paris.

“It might have taken a while to get going but once we took them on in the pack starting with the scrums, then mauling at them and picking and driving, we really got in amongst them,” adds Wallace. “Jamie, for example, was everywhere – he had a brilliant game. Then, I love playing with Denis, he’s a very abrasive, physical player who can carry the ball as well. It’s good playing with guys you respect and trust, which helps with your own game too.”

It may appear a dull area for discussion to many, but for the rugby anoraks there is a growing realisation in recent years in the importance of the breakdown area, and O’Sullivan employed a specialist coach in 2004 to work with players on this area. Just as Wallace is an easy target when criticised for his limitations as an orthodox seven, if Ireland are beaten the finger is pointed to the ‘breakdown’ and lack of back row numbers there. Wallace is well aware of Scots’ abilities as master spoilers when the ball goes to ground.

“The Scottish back row, you can’t give them any leeway because they will upset you – that’s what they’re very good at. Maybe in the last couple of games that’s something we’ve been guilty of – maybe not getting enough numbers to rucks. We’ve got to get there against Scotland because they will hurt us.

“I think it’s something we have to be more aware of and be more alert to — just making sure we have enough numbers at rucks and make sure the ball comes back as quick and as cleanly as possible.”

To get to this point, the team has endured much criticism, much of it warranted. Wallace tries to quantify how much the display against France has contributed to team morale.

“The morale was always good and even though we had a win against Italy — who are a good team and who are going to cause more teams a lot of trouble this year — there was a bit of abuse flung at us as well, even though we were happy with the win.

“To come back from that many points down in Paris showed a lot of character and hopefully we can just build on that, play at that tempo and that way for the rest of the Championship.”

They may have something to prove to the Croke Park faithful, many of whom left the stadium peppered with empty seats close to the finish of the Italy game. Wallace disagrees: “I think we’re just proving something to ourselves. We’re better than what we were against Italy, but you’re still taking a lot away from Italy. We were happy with the win. Now we’re concentrating on the Scottish team and try to play as well as we can and continuing our form as we finished in France.”