Paddy Wallace
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Paddy Wallace (born 27 August 1979) is an Irish rugby union footballer from Belfast where he attended Campbell College. He plays for Ulster. He was a member of the Ireland U19 side including Brian O'Driscoll that lifted the U19 World Cup in 1998.
Wallace burst on to the scene at the beginning of the 2001/2002 season putting in a number of top class performances from fullback or out-half for Ulster. He soon became a regular and was selected to play for Ireland A against the touring New Zealand All Blacks 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.
Wallace began the 2002/2003 season as Ulster's first choice fullback but a broken leg in a Celtic League game away to Swansea at St.Helen's 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.
He began the 2003/2004 season in the no.10 shirt for Ulster due to David Humphreys absence because of the impending Rugby World Cup in Australia. After fellow Ulster player Johnny Bell was ruled out of the tournament with an Achilles 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. 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 in the 22 for the visit of French giants Stade Francais 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 no.15 shirt for the next number 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 retrn leg though of the Tigers' fixture he had a torrid time and was resigned 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 many tries from here.
The 2004/2005 season started well for Wallace, playing from out-half he hit the winning drop-goal in the 17-16 defeat of Edinburgh at Murrayfield 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 weren't 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.
He began the 2005/2006 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 wasn't 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.
Over the summer he toured the USA and Canada 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 Maori. His performances were rewarded with very positive reviews and it seemed his confidence was finally returning.
He began the 2006/2007 season partnering Paul Steinmetz in the centre and as since kept his place even keeping Ireland Star Andrew Trimble on the wing. The first two months of this season have seen Wallace play the best rugby of his career and finally seem to fulfil some of that early promise which was first shown back in 2001. It therefore comes 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 didn't 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 such a display it would seem that Wallace has secured himself a place in the Ireland Squad for the 2007 6 Nations.
