Wallace: I was close to Red exit

IT IS difficult to imagine now, as he does his best Ryan Giggs impression, that the ever-enduring David Wallace briefly considered leaving Munster to further his career.

Eddie Halvey, Anthony Foley, Alan Quinlan and Ultan O’Callaghan were all vying for back row positions at the time. As a young man, the thoughts of training with men he considered icons was overwhelming. He couldn’t imagine taking their places. Conversations with head coach Declan Kidney and senior squad member Killian Keane convinced him to keep the faith.

“I’m happy I faced the challenge and overcame it because if I ran from it I would have been defeating myself. I think it was a turning point in my career,” he says.