Wallace and O’Leary can make French pay

SOME players are earmarked as future Ireland internationals from a young age. Paul O’Connell, Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara and Luke Fitzgerald were always going to pull on a green jersey.

Their underage coaches recognised it, their clubs knew it and rugby supporters all over the country assumed it was only going to be a matter of time.

However, for some others, future international honours were never such a certainty. This week Declan Kidney selected his first Six Nations side. Two of his starting 15 have travelled a slightly rockier road than others to achieve their first start in the competition.

Paddy Wallace’s inclusion at 12 was one of the biggest talking points of the week. Commentators have been speculating as to the thought process behind his selection. Is he there as an extra playmaker to take pressure off O’Gara at 10? How will he cope with the physical demands of a position that requires stout defence against the two bruising centres, Florian Fritz and Yannick Jauzion?

These are valid questions and Kidney has sat in front of the press, answering but saying very little. He never wants to say anything that would give the opposition material for their pre-match team-talk. Wallace himself has given several interviews but his nature is not to talk too much. However, I’m sure that he is determined to stake his claim to become a regular in Kidney’s backline this evening.

While he has always been highly regarded in Ulster, Wallace has not always had the same respect in the rest of the country. During the 2007 World Cup television pundits wouldn’t even consider him as possible successor to Ronan O’Gara. This unfair appraisal of his potential came from Eddie O’Sullivan’s unwillingness to stray from his tried and trusted first XV. Because Wallace had only been given his opportunities against the lesser nations, there was a belief that he couldn’t perform against the rugby elite. However, you can only beat what is put in front of you.

Wallace has been one of those players who has lurked on the fringes of the international squad and has never felt confident or secure about his status.

During the 2007 World Cup, he was one of the unused group of players who travelled as tacklebag holders. This can’t have been enjoyable as he had already experienced seven weeks in Australia in 2003 functioning in the same role.

Add to this the fact that a few months before that, he had toured Australia, Tonga and Samoa hoping to win his first cap, but had been denied by injury. He spent most of that trip at the side of that training pitch with his leg elevated and was given the rather humiliating job of minding the tour mascot, a stuffed toy.

For all these reasons, you can understand why today’s clash with France means an awful lot to Paddy Wallace. These omissions, rejections and humiliations stay in the rugby soul. In Munster it’s the ‘chip on the shoulder’ mentality that has been the catalyst for so much success. Anthony Foley couldn’t have explained it better by stating that we do bitterness better than anyone else. But as an individual, this bitter feeling can ultimately drive you beyond your potential, pushing you to “prove everybody wrong”.

Under Matt Williams, a rejuvenated Ulster are starting to play some inspiring rugby. Because of his playmaking ability, Wallace is central to the northern province’s development. At 12 he gives their attack another dimension. Outside O’Gara he can also pose a similar threat to the French. Recently Ireland’s attack has appeared stale. Everything had to go through 10. If you stopped O’Gara, you stopped Ireland. Now because of Paddy Wallace’s ability to create attacking opportunities, defences have to wary of another playmaker.

Another man starting today has had similar detractors throughout his early years as a rugby professional. Tomás O’Leary has suffered from an unfair stigma regarding his potential as a scrum-half. Nobody doubted he had some talent but the general perception has been that he had a pedestrian pass and this would ultimately cost him any future advancement in the game. Tomás’s flexibility didn’t help his cause. Every time he was selected on the wing or at centre, the doubters spoke authoritatively and proclaimed that he had no future at nine.

I spoke to Tomás at the end of the 2006/07 season and he was adamant that he was a scrum-half. He had a plan and was willing to iron out all the wrinkles in his game. He sourced a specialist coach and worked on all the individual skills of a nine. This hunger and work ethic resulted in him being selected ahead of Peter Stringer for Munster’s Heineken Cup quarter-final last season. He hasn’t looked back and now has a swagger and confidence that shows he has established his credentials as Ireland’s in-form nine.

Like Wallace, he also offers something new to Ireland’s attack. He has blistering pace and an ability to make a searing break at a crucial time. His dizzying box-kicks should also take a lot of pressure off O’Gara.

Wallace and O’Leary have made similar journeys to arrive at their first Six Nations starts. They have been written off many times but have always shown a willingness to fight back. Their hunger to arrive at this destination has been impressive but the journey is only beginning. They both have the ability to open up defences as key playmakers.

Today, hopefully, the years of bitterness can be forgotten.