Paddy Wallace
Encyclopedia
Paddy Wallace is an Irish
rugby union
footballer from Belfast
where he attended Rockport School
and Campbell College
. He plays for Ulster
. He was a member of the Ireland U19 side (which also included Brian O'Driscoll
) that lifted the U19 World Cup in 1998. He was a member of the Ireland Grand Slam winning team of 2009.
at Ravenhill
. Although Ireland lost 43–30 Wallace put in an extremely accomplished performance as well as kicking 20 points. He was a regular in both the Ulster and Ireland A teams for the remainder of the season, indeed helping the Ireland A team to a Shadow 6 Nations
Triple Crown
.
game away to Swansea
at St.Helens
meant he would miss the majority of the remainder of the season. He would return in time though to help his club, Ballymena
, win the AIB
All Ireland League Title, defeating Clontarf
in the final at Lansdowne Road
.
in Australia. After fellow Ulster player Johnny Bell
was ruled out of the tournament with an achilles tendon
injury the uncapped Wallace was called up to the Ireland Squad
. Although a great experience for the young Wallace he saw no game time. When he returned to Ulster, he had lost his place at fullback to the ever-consistent Bryn Cunningham
, and the No10 slot to the returning David Humpreys. It seems in hindsight the best thing for Wallace would actually have been to stay with Ulster and play regular Celtic League rugby.
Having been left out of the squad for the opening Heineken Cup
game away to the Newport Gwent Dragons
he was drafted into the 22 for the visit of French giants Stade Français to Ravenhill after an injury to Australian international centre Ryan Constable. He would come on as a second half replacement for Bryn Cunningham and score the winning try
.
This secured the talented Wallace the Ulster Number 15 shirt for the next series of games including the 27–21 defeat of Edinburgh to lift the Celtic Cup, Ulster's first piece of silverware since the famous 1999 European Cup triumph, and the 33–0 thumping of Leicester Tigers
at Ravenhill in January 2004, in the return leg of the Tigers' fixture though he had a torrid time playig at full-back and was relegated to the bench for the majority of the remainder of the season. Wallace had 3 more starts that season, twice at outside centre and once again at fullback, all due to injuries to other squad members. He was though successfully used as an impact substitute off the bench scoring a number of tries from here.
but after this the Ulster team and himself both suffered a massive dip in form. After the home defeat to Leinster in September 2004 he was relegated to the bench to accommodate David Humphreys at out-half. He made a number of appearances off the bench in this period but having come on for David Humphreys in the away Heineken Cup defeat to Gloucester
he damaged knee ligaments that would see the him ruled out until the new year. With the Autumn Internationals directly after the Gloucester game and Humphreys involved with Ireland, Wallace would have had a chance to get a run of games for Ulster in the no.10 shirt if it were not for this unfortunate injury.
As it where he would make his return to the Ulster bench in the 9–8 away defeat to Leinster
at Donnybrook
, Dublin. Having then come on as a replacement in the 14–12 home win over Gloucester he started the following game, away to Cardiff Blues
, at fullback. His next appearance in an Ulster shirt would be in the home glamour friendly against the touring South African team the Bulls. Having come on at out-half for Adam Larkin
he put in a decent showing reminding the Ulster management of what he was capable of. The Ireland A team had a one-off fixture with France A at Donnybrook, Dublin with Wallace, playing out-half and kicking 12 points in the 15–9 triumph, putting in an accomplished display. He subsequently regained the position of back-up out-half to David Humphreys and started in the 21–15 away defeat to Munster
. Injury to Humphreys towards the end of the season gave Wallace two further starts in Celtic League games against Cardiff Blues and Llanelli Scarlets
. He was selected by Ireland to tour Japan over the summer where he would have won his first full cap but his injury jinx struck again and a broken hand ruled him out.
His next appearance in an Ulster shirt that season was not even in the white of the senior team but the black shirts of the Ulster A team in the 24–19 defeat to Leinster A where Wallace played Inside Centre. He would continue to play for Ballymena before being once again drafted into the Ulster 22 for the Heineken Cup fixture away to Treviso
where he came off the bench to score a try in the 43–26 bonus point win. After this cameo performance he would go on to sit on the bench for Ireland A in the 20–12 away defeat to France A, where he came on, and the 33–18 victory over England A at Kingsholm. He would then once again return to his club for regular rugby as well as turning out for the Ulster A team in the 24–22 away defeat to Leinster A in Dundalk
. When the club season ended though he was drafted back into the Ulster squad for the home game against the Borders. Having come on early for the injured Johnny Bell he put in a great performance at inside centre where he scored a well worked try. He retained his place in the starting line-up for the following week's trip to Stradey Park
to face the Llanelli Scarlets and put in another solid performance in the no.12 shirt in the 12–12 draw. He would go on to keep his place in the team for the famous 19–17 victory over the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium
which took place the following week where Ulster clinched the Celtic League crown with a last minute drop goal from David Humphreys.
with the Ireland A team playing at out-half in all three of Ireland's games, the wins over USA
and England Saxons
and the defeat to the New Zealand Māori
. His performances were rewarded with very positive reviews and it seemed his confidence was finally returning.
in the centre and as since kept his place even keeping Ireland star Andrew Trimble
on the wing
. The first two months of that season saw Wallace play the best rugby of his career and finally seem to fulfil some of the early promise which first shown back in 2001.
It therefore came as no surprise that Wallace was called up to the Ireland Autumn International Squad and won his first cap when coming on as a replacement in Ireland's record 32–15 victory over South Africa
. He did not get on in Ireland's second game, a 21–6 victory over Australia
, but did start and indeed star in the 61–17 thrashing of the Pacific Islanders
, in what was the last ever international at Lansdowne Road. Wallace scored 26 points, including a try, 6 conersions and 3 penalties.
Following that display, Wallace secured himself a place in the 6 Nations squad and won one cap during the campaign, coming off the bench in the historic 43–13 defeat of England
at Croke Park
.
Wallace continued to play for Ulster in the remaining Magners League games however the Ulster team went through an end of season dip in form which saw them finish a disappointing 5th. Wallace did however, towards the end of the campaign, get some game time at out-half as opposed to in the centre.
and played in the first test, a 22–20 defeat to a last minute Felipe Contepomi
drop goal. Wallace had a good game however had to retire during the 2nd half after sustaining a knee injury. The loss of Wallace was undoubtedly crucial in Ireland losing the game. The knee injury kept him out of the 2nd test.
's 50 man training squad in preparation for the forthcoming World Cup to be held in France. Wallace made his fifth test appearance in Ireland's World Cup Warm-Up test against Scotland
at Murrayfield
. Wallace started a match in which Ireland were beaten 31–21 by an impressive Scotland performance in what was a tight game with late try by Andy Henderson finally killing off Ireland. The next day Wallace was duly named in Ireland's squad for the World Cup. Outside of Irish legend Ronan O'Gara
wallace was the only recognised Out-Half in the Irish squad, something which drew much criticism upon coach Eddie O'Sullivan
.
Wallace also came on as a substitute in the non-cap warm-up game with French Top 14 side Bayonne
; a match that as subsequently been dubbed the "Battle of Bayonne" due to the extremely physical nature of the game which included Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll
leaving the field with a broken sinus
. Wallace was named on the bench for the historic international at Ravenhill
between Ireland and Italy
however he was unused.
In what was to prove an extremely disappointing campaign for the Irish, which saw them exit at the group stages, Wallace only gained one substitute appearance against minnows Namibia.
Internationally, Ireland did not fare much better with a 4th placed finish in the 6 Nations which would ultimately seal the fate of coach Eddie O'Sullivan
. This was Ireland's lowest ever finish in the 6 Nations and was compounded by an embarrassing home loss to a rejuvenated Wales. Wallace gained brief substitute appearances against Scotland and England to gain his 7th and 8th international caps respectively.
Wallace was named in the Ireland squad for their summer tour games against the Barbarians, New Zealand and Australia. In the Barbarians game Wallace started at out-half and gave an accomplished display in Ireland's 39–14 win. Having previously been named on the bench for the test against New Zealand in Wellington the withdrawal of Leinster's Luke Fitzgerald gave Wallace a start in number 12 jersey. He did not disappoint scoring Ireland's only try in a brave 21–11 loss which heralded a return to what Ireland had always been capable of but had been repressed in the last 12 months of O'Sullivan's tenure. Wallace also played in the following weekend's encounter with the Wallabies with Ireland losing the game 18–12.
Following on from his fine form in the 2007/08 season, he began the 2008/09 season in equally good form for Ulster; playing most of his rugby once again as an Inside Centre. His club form was so good that, even with a fit-again Gordon D'Arcy, he was named as Ireland's starting number 12 for the 2009 Six Nations. Although he lost his starting berth for the final two matches of the campaign, he was a valuable member of the victorious Ireland team that won the 2009 Six Nations Championship
and Grand Slam, their first Grand Slam in 61 years. There was massive relief for Wallace after Stephen Jones
missed a late penalty awarded when Wallace clumsily strayed offside at a ruck. His shirt that he wore (12) was made up of tiny signaturs of Irish fans the first being his son.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer from Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
where he attended Rockport School
Rockport School
Rockport School is an independent mixed ability school for boys and girls from 3 years to 16 years.Situated on the shore of Belfast Lough in Craigavad, a village in County Down, Northern Ireland between Belfast and Bangor....
and Campbell College
Campbell College
Campbell College is a Voluntary Grammar school in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The College educates boys from ages 11–18. It is one of the eight Northern Irish schools represented on the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and is a member of the Independent Schools Council.The school occupies...
. He plays for Ulster
Ulster Rugby
Ulster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Ulster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Belfast, representing the Irish province of Ulster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...
. He was a member of the Ireland U19 side (which also included Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll is an Irish professional rugby union player. He is the current captain of the Ireland Rugby team and captained Leinster Rugby until the start of 2008 season. He also captained the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand...
) that lifted the U19 World Cup in 1998. He was a member of the Ireland Grand Slam winning team of 2009.
2001/02 Season
Wallace burst on to the scene at the beginning of the 2001/02 season putting in a number of top class performances from fullback or out-half for Ulster. His wacky sidesteps and flamboyant goose-steps made him a favourite with the Ravenhill supporters. He soon became a regular and was selected to play for Ireland A against the touring New Zealand All BlacksAll Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
at Ravenhill
Ravenhill Stadium
Ravenhill Stadium is located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is used by Ulster Rugby. It has a normal capacity of 12,300 and is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union.-History:The grounds were opened in the 1923/24 season...
. Although Ireland lost 43–30 Wallace put in an extremely accomplished performance as well as kicking 20 points. He was a regular in both the Ulster and Ireland A teams for the remainder of the season, indeed helping the Ireland A team to a Shadow 6 Nations
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
Triple Crown
Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
.
2002/03 Season
Wallace began the 2002/03 season as Ulster's first choice fullback but a broken leg in a Celtic LeagueCeltic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
game away to Swansea
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
at St.Helens
St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground
St. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground is a spectator venue in Swansea, Wales. It is used for both rugby and cricket.It is owned and operated by the City and County of Swansea council and is also used to host the local annual Guy Fawkes night fireworks display.-History:Since the ground opened in...
meant he would miss the majority of the remainder of the season. He would return in time though to help his club, Ballymena
Ballymena RFC
Ballymena Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the town of Ballymena, Northern Ireland. It is affiliated to the Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The club fields six adult teams and an under-20 team. In youth rugby there are under-18, under-16 and under-14 teams...
, win the AIB
AIB
AIB may refer to:* add-in board * Admiralty Interview Board* AIB College of Business* Allied Intelligence Bureau* 2-Aminoisobutyric acid* Amplified in breast* The Art Institute of Boston* The Arts Institute at Bournemouth...
All Ireland League Title, defeating Clontarf
Clontarf RFC
Clontarf Football Club. Having played firstly in a field at the bottom of Vernon Avenue, then on a site currently used by Dublin Bus as a Depot., the club moved to its present location in 1896 and celebrated 100 years at Castle Avenue in 1996. The Bull Emblem used in the logo is that of the...
in the final at Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
.
2003/04 Season
He began the 2003/04 season in the Number 10 shirt for Ulster due to David Humphreys absence because of the impending Rugby World CupRugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
in Australia. After fellow Ulster player Johnny Bell
Jonathan Bell (rugby player)
Jonathan Charles Bell is a rugby union player who played at centre for Ulster, Dungannon, Northampton and Ireland. He made his international debut in 1994 against Australia....
was ruled out of the tournament with an achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
injury the uncapped Wallace was called up to the Ireland Squad
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
. Although a great experience for the young Wallace he saw no game time. When he returned to Ulster, he had lost his place at fullback to the ever-consistent Bryn Cunningham
Bryn Cunningham
Bryn Cunningham is a retired Irish rugby union footballer.He is a former pupil of Bangor Grammar School in County Down and TCD, and currently plays as a full back for Ulster Rugby. In September 2010 he retired from rugby with imidiate effect.-External links:**...
, and the No10 slot to the returning David Humpreys. It seems in hindsight the best thing for Wallace would actually have been to stay with Ulster and play regular Celtic League rugby.
Having been left out of the squad for the opening Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
game away to the Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
he was drafted into the 22 for the visit of French giants Stade Français to Ravenhill after an injury to Australian international centre Ryan Constable. He would come on as a second half replacement for Bryn Cunningham and score the winning try
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
.
This secured the talented Wallace the Ulster Number 15 shirt for the next series of games including the 27–21 defeat of Edinburgh to lift the Celtic Cup, Ulster's first piece of silverware since the famous 1999 European Cup triumph, and the 33–0 thumping of Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
at Ravenhill in January 2004, in the return leg of the Tigers' fixture though he had a torrid time playig at full-back and was relegated to the bench for the majority of the remainder of the season. Wallace had 3 more starts that season, twice at outside centre and once again at fullback, all due to injuries to other squad members. He was though successfully used as an impact substitute off the bench scoring a number of tries from here.
2004/05 Season
The 2004/05 season started well for Wallace, playing from out-half he hit the winning drop goal in the 17–16 defeat of Edinburgh at MurrayfieldMurrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
but after this the Ulster team and himself both suffered a massive dip in form. After the home defeat to Leinster in September 2004 he was relegated to the bench to accommodate David Humphreys at out-half. He made a number of appearances off the bench in this period but having come on for David Humphreys in the away Heineken Cup defeat to Gloucester
Gloucester RFC
Gloucester Rugby are a professional English rugby union club situated in the west country city of Gloucester. The club plays in the domestic Aviva Premiership...
he damaged knee ligaments that would see the him ruled out until the new year. With the Autumn Internationals directly after the Gloucester game and Humphreys involved with Ireland, Wallace would have had a chance to get a run of games for Ulster in the no.10 shirt if it were not for this unfortunate injury.
As it where he would make his return to the Ulster bench in the 9–8 away defeat to Leinster
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...
at Donnybrook
Donnybrook Rugby Ground
Donnybrook Stadium is a rugby union stadium in Donnybrook, Dublin 4, Ireland.- Usage :The ground is the former home stadium of Leinster Rugby and they still play friendly games in Donnybrook...
, Dublin. Having then come on as a replacement in the 14–12 home win over Gloucester he started the following game, away to Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....
, at fullback. His next appearance in an Ulster shirt would be in the home glamour friendly against the touring South African team the Bulls. Having come on at out-half for Adam Larkin
Adam Larkin
Adam Larkin is an Australian rugby union footballer. He plays for Ulster.-External links:*...
he put in a decent showing reminding the Ulster management of what he was capable of. The Ireland A team had a one-off fixture with France A at Donnybrook, Dublin with Wallace, playing out-half and kicking 12 points in the 15–9 triumph, putting in an accomplished display. He subsequently regained the position of back-up out-half to David Humphreys and started in the 21–15 away defeat to Munster
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
. Injury to Humphreys towards the end of the season gave Wallace two further starts in Celtic League games against Cardiff Blues and Llanelli Scarlets
Llanelli Scarlets
The Scarlets are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Llanelli, south-west Wales the team play at the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, as well as competing in the LV= Cup and the Heineken Cup...
. He was selected by Ireland to tour Japan over the summer where he would have won his first full cap but his injury jinx struck again and a broken hand ruled him out.
2005/06 Season
He began the 2005/06 season as Ulster's back up out-half and an injury to Bryn Cunningham meant Wallace played the opening 4 games of Ulster's Celtic League campaign from fullback putting in some solid performances including an important kicking display in the 22–19 away victory over the Dragons. Once Cunningham returned Wallace was once again relegated to the bench as cover for Humphreys. Having sat on the bench for a number of games he finally got another start at home to the Ospreys whilst Humphreys was on Ireland duty. Wallace played poorly that night and his lack of game time was apparent. After discussions with Ulster coach Mark McCall it was decided it would be better for Wallace to go and play for his club, Ballymena, and get 80 minutes week in, week out.His next appearance in an Ulster shirt that season was not even in the white of the senior team but the black shirts of the Ulster A team in the 24–19 defeat to Leinster A where Wallace played Inside Centre. He would continue to play for Ballymena before being once again drafted into the Ulster 22 for the Heineken Cup fixture away to Treviso
Benetton Rugby Treviso
Benetton Rugby Treviso are an Italian professional rugby union club currently competing in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup.They are based in Treviso in Veneto, and owned by the Benetton clothing company....
where he came off the bench to score a try in the 43–26 bonus point win. After this cameo performance he would go on to sit on the bench for Ireland A in the 20–12 away defeat to France A, where he came on, and the 33–18 victory over England A at Kingsholm. He would then once again return to his club for regular rugby as well as turning out for the Ulster A team in the 24–22 away defeat to Leinster A in Dundalk
Dundalk R.F.C
Dundalk RFC is an Irish Rugby football club from Dundalk, County Louth, that play in the Leinster League....
. When the club season ended though he was drafted back into the Ulster squad for the home game against the Borders. Having come on early for the injured Johnny Bell he put in a great performance at inside centre where he scored a well worked try. He retained his place in the starting line-up for the following week's trip to Stradey Park
Stradey Park
Stradey Park was a rugby union stadium located near the centre of the town of Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was the home of the Scarlets region and Llanelli RFC rugby teams. The stadium was a combination of seating and standing with a total capacity of 10,800...
to face the Llanelli Scarlets and put in another solid performance in the no.12 shirt in the 12–12 draw. He would go on to keep his place in the team for the famous 19–17 victory over the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium
Liberty Stadium, Swansea
The Liberty Stadium is a purpose-built sports stadium and conferencing venue in the Landore area of Swansea, Wales. The stadium is all-seated, with a capacity of 20,532 making it the largest purpose-built venue in Swansea and the third largest stadium in Wales after the Millennium Stadium and the...
which took place the following week where Ulster clinched the Celtic League crown with a last minute drop goal from David Humphreys.
Churchill Cup 2006
Over the summer he played in the United States and Canada in the Barclays Churchill CupChurchill Cup
The Churchill Cup was an annual rugby union tournament, held in June, contested by representative men's teams from Canada, England, the United States, and other invited teams from a wide array of countries....
with the Ireland A team playing at out-half in all three of Ireland's games, the wins over USA
United States national rugby union team
USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
and England Saxons
England Saxons
England Saxons is the current name of England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England A...
and the defeat to the New Zealand Māori
New Zealand Maori rugby union team
New Zealand Māori is a rugby union team that traditionally plays teams touring New Zealand. A prerequisite for playing in this team is that the player is to have Māori whakapapa or genealogy. In the past this rule was not strictly applied. In the past non-Māori players who looked Māori were often...
. His performances were rewarded with very positive reviews and it seemed his confidence was finally returning.
2006/07 Season
He began the 2006/07 season partnering Paul SteinmetzPaul Steinmetz
Paul Christopher Steinmetz is a retired professional rugby union footballer. He made one appearance for the All Blacks in 2002.-Provincial Rugby:...
in the centre and as since kept his place even keeping Ireland star Andrew Trimble
Andrew Trimble
Andrew Trimble is an Irish rugby union footballer from Coleraine, County Londonderry in Northern Ireland.- Club career :He attended Coleraine Academical Institution, where he competed in the Ulster Schools Cup....
on the wing
Winger (sport)
In certain sports, such as football, field hockey, ice hockey, handball, rugby union, lacrosse and rugby league, the term winger is the name of a position. It refers to positions on the extreme left and right sides of the pitch . In American football and Canadian football, the analogous position...
. The first two months of that season saw Wallace play the best rugby of his career and finally seem to fulfil some of the early promise which first shown back in 2001.
It therefore came as no surprise that Wallace was called up to the Ireland Autumn International Squad and won his first cap when coming on as a replacement in Ireland's record 32–15 victory over South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
. He did not get on in Ireland's second game, a 21–6 victory over Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
, but did start and indeed star in the 61–17 thrashing of the Pacific Islanders
Pacific Islanders rugby union team
The Pacific Islanders rugby union team is an international rugby union team, started in 2004, that represents Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. While Niue and the Cook Islands are not members of the Pacific Tri-Nations competition, they did supply players to the squad for the Pacific Islanders' tour in 2004...
, in what was the last ever international at Lansdowne Road. Wallace scored 26 points, including a try, 6 conersions and 3 penalties.
Following that display, Wallace secured himself a place in the 6 Nations squad and won one cap during the campaign, coming off the bench in the historic 43–13 defeat of England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
at Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
.
Wallace continued to play for Ulster in the remaining Magners League games however the Ulster team went through an end of season dip in form which saw them finish a disappointing 5th. Wallace did however, towards the end of the campaign, get some game time at out-half as opposed to in the centre.
Argentina Tour 2007
Wallace was named in the Ireland Squad for the 2007 tour to ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and played in the first test, a 22–20 defeat to a last minute Felipe Contepomi
Felipe Contepomi
Felipe Contepomi is an Argentine rugby union footballer. A fly-half and centre, he currently plays for Stade Francais of the French Top 14; he made his debut for the club in November 2009 after recovering from a torn ACL suffered in a 2008–09 Heineken Cup match with his previous club, Magners...
drop goal. Wallace had a good game however had to retire during the 2nd half after sustaining a knee injury. The loss of Wallace was undoubtedly crucial in Ireland losing the game. The knee injury kept him out of the 2nd test.
Rugby World Cup 2007
Wallace was named in Eddie O'SullivanEddie O'Sullivan
Eddie O'Sullivan is an Irish rugby union coach and a former footballer. He is a former head coach of the United States national rugby union team and of the Ireland national rugby union team....
's 50 man training squad in preparation for the forthcoming World Cup to be held in France. Wallace made his fifth test appearance in Ireland's World Cup Warm-Up test against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
at Murrayfield
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
. Wallace started a match in which Ireland were beaten 31–21 by an impressive Scotland performance in what was a tight game with late try by Andy Henderson finally killing off Ireland. The next day Wallace was duly named in Ireland's squad for the World Cup. Outside of Irish legend Ronan O'Gara
Ronan O'Gara
Ronan John Ross O'Gara is an Irish rugby union player, playing at fly-half for both Munster and Ireland. He is the all time highest point scorer for both Munster and Ireland. In addition to his prolific point-scoring, he has captained Munster, Ireland and the British and Irish Lions...
wallace was the only recognised Out-Half in the Irish squad, something which drew much criticism upon coach Eddie O'Sullivan
Eddie O'Sullivan
Eddie O'Sullivan is an Irish rugby union coach and a former footballer. He is a former head coach of the United States national rugby union team and of the Ireland national rugby union team....
.
Wallace also came on as a substitute in the non-cap warm-up game with French Top 14 side Bayonne
Aviron Bayonnais
Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition...
; a match that as subsequently been dubbed the "Battle of Bayonne" due to the extremely physical nature of the game which included Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll is an Irish professional rugby union player. He is the current captain of the Ireland Rugby team and captained Leinster Rugby until the start of 2008 season. He also captained the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand...
leaving the field with a broken sinus
Paranasal sinus
Paranasal sinuses are a group of four paired air-filled spaces that surround the nasal cavity , above and between the eyes , and behind the ethmoids...
. Wallace was named on the bench for the historic international at Ravenhill
Ravenhill Stadium
Ravenhill Stadium is located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is used by Ulster Rugby. It has a normal capacity of 12,300 and is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union.-History:The grounds were opened in the 1923/24 season...
between Ireland and Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
however he was unused.
In what was to prove an extremely disappointing campaign for the Irish, which saw them exit at the group stages, Wallace only gained one substitute appearance against minnows Namibia.
2007 to 2009
The 2007/08 season turned out to be both extremely disappointing for both Ireland and Ulster. With Ulster Wallace played the majority of the first half of the season in the number 10 shirt however with the arrival of new coach Matt Williams after Christmas Wallace cemented his place in the team in the number 12 shirt with the young Niall O'Connor taking over at out-half. It was certainly a season to forget, with Ulster finishing bottom of their Heineken Cup group behind Gloucester, Bourgoin and the Ospreys. They also finished 9th in the Magners League.Internationally, Ireland did not fare much better with a 4th placed finish in the 6 Nations which would ultimately seal the fate of coach Eddie O'Sullivan
Eddie O'Sullivan
Eddie O'Sullivan is an Irish rugby union coach and a former footballer. He is a former head coach of the United States national rugby union team and of the Ireland national rugby union team....
. This was Ireland's lowest ever finish in the 6 Nations and was compounded by an embarrassing home loss to a rejuvenated Wales. Wallace gained brief substitute appearances against Scotland and England to gain his 7th and 8th international caps respectively.
Wallace was named in the Ireland squad for their summer tour games against the Barbarians, New Zealand and Australia. In the Barbarians game Wallace started at out-half and gave an accomplished display in Ireland's 39–14 win. Having previously been named on the bench for the test against New Zealand in Wellington the withdrawal of Leinster's Luke Fitzgerald gave Wallace a start in number 12 jersey. He did not disappoint scoring Ireland's only try in a brave 21–11 loss which heralded a return to what Ireland had always been capable of but had been repressed in the last 12 months of O'Sullivan's tenure. Wallace also played in the following weekend's encounter with the Wallabies with Ireland losing the game 18–12.
Following on from his fine form in the 2007/08 season, he began the 2008/09 season in equally good form for Ulster; playing most of his rugby once again as an Inside Centre. His club form was so good that, even with a fit-again Gordon D'Arcy, he was named as Ireland's starting number 12 for the 2009 Six Nations. Although he lost his starting berth for the final two matches of the campaign, he was a valuable member of the victorious Ireland team that won the 2009 Six Nations Championship
2009 Six Nations Championship
The 2009 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2009 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the tenth Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition contested by the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
and Grand Slam, their first Grand Slam in 61 years. There was massive relief for Wallace after Stephen Jones
Stephen Jones
Stephen Jones may refer to:In the arts:*Stephen Jones , English magazine editor*Stephen Jones , Australian music and video artist*Stephen Jones , British editor and author...
missed a late penalty awarded when Wallace clumsily strayed offside at a ruck. His shirt that he wore (12) was made up of tiny signaturs of Irish fans the first being his son.