Hard Yards

With the respective back rows littered with hard-hitting, marauding talent, David Wallace knows tomorrow will be a tough day at the office. DIARMUID O’FLYNN reports.

ON JULY 8 David Wallace will celebrate his 33rd birthday. Already this season the powerful-running openside flanker has played a major role in Ireland winning its first Grand Slam since 1948, and is on the cusp of a first Magners League title too.

Of more pressing concern, though, a win over provincial rivals Leinster in Croke Park tomorrow will see Munster on the road to Edinburgh on May 23 and a tilt at retaining the Heineken Cup. Should all those presents come to pass, the icing on that birthday cake would be a test series win for the Lions over South Africa. A truly magnificent season in prospect then, but, given that Munster will also have another six tourists going to South Africa in June, four of whom also played major roles in Ireland’s Six-Nations win, not unique.