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| Birth name | Patrick Wallace | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | (1979-08-27)27 August 1979 (age 45) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Dundonald,Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 81 kg (12 st 11 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Campbell College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Trinity College Dublin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Patrick Wallace (born 27 August 1979) is anIrelandrugby union player who played forIreland's national team and played forUlster. A native ofBelfast, he attendedRockport School andCampbell College. He was a member of the Ireland U19 side (which also includedBrian O'Driscoll) that lifted the U19 World Cup in 1998. He was a member of the Ireland Grand Slam winning team of 2009.
Wallace burst on to the scene at the beginning of the 2001/02 season putting in a number of top class performances fromfullback orout-half for Ulster. His wacky sidesteps and flamboyant goose-steps made him a favourite with the Ravenhill supporters.[citation needed] He soon became a regular and was selected to play forIreland A against the touring New ZealandAll Blacks atRavenhill. 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 Shadow6 NationsTriple Crown.
Wallace began the 2002/03 season as Ulster's first choice fullback but a broken leg in aCeltic League game away toSwansea atSt. 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 theAIB All Ireland League Title, defeatingClontarf in the final atLansdowne Road.
He began the 2003/04 season in the Number 10 shirt for Ulster due toDavid Humphreys absence because of the impendingRugby World Cup in Australia. After fellow Ulster playerJonny Bell was ruled out of the tournament with anachilles tendon injury the uncapped Wallace was called up to theIreland 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-consistentBryn 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 openingHeineken Cup game away to theNewport Gwent Dragons he was drafted into the 22 for the visit of French giantsStade Français to Ravenhill after an injury to Australian internationalcentreRyan 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 ofEdinburgh to lift theCeltic Cup, Ulster's first piece of silverware since the famous 1999 European Cup triumph, and the 33–0 thumping ofLeicester Tigers at Ravenhill in January 2004, in the return leg of the Tigers' fixture though he had a torrid time playing 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 atoutside centre and once again atfullback, 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.
The 2004/05 season started well for Wallace; playing from out-half he hit the winningdrop goal in the 17–16 defeat of Edinburgh atMurrayfield but after this the Ulster team and he 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 toGloucester he damaged knee ligaments that would see 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 toLeinster atDonnybrook,Dublin. Having then come on as a replacement in the 14–12 home win over Gloucester he started the following game, away toCardiff Blues, at fullback. His next appearance in an Ulster shirt would be in the home glamour friendly against the touring South African team theBulls.
Having come on at out-half forAdam 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 toMunster. Injury to Humphreys towards the end of the season gave Wallace two further starts in Celtic League games against Cardiff Blues andLlanelli 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 2005/06 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 theOspreys 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 playedInside Centre. He would continue to play for Ballymena before being once again drafted into the Ulster 22 for the Heineken Cup fixture away toTreviso 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 atKingsholm.
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 inDundalk. When the club season ended though he was drafted back into the Ulster squad for the home game against theBorders. 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 toStradey 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 theLiberty 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 played in the United States and Canada in theBarclaysChurchill Cup with the Ireland A team playing at out-half in all three of Ireland's games, the wins overUSA andEngland Saxons and the defeat to theNew Zealand Māori. His performances were rewarded with very positive reviews and it seemed his confidence was finally returning.
He began the 2006/07 season partneringPaul Steinmetz in the centre and as since kept his place even keeping Ireland starAndrew Trimble on thewing. 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 overSouth Africa. He did not get on in Ireland's second game, a 21–6 victory overAustralia, but did start and indeed star in the 61–17 thrashing of thePacific Islanders, in what was the last ever international at Lansdowne Road. Wallace scored 26 points, including a try, 6 conversions 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 ofEngland atCroke Park. Wallace continued to play for Ulster in the remainingCeltic 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.
Wallace was named in the Ireland Squad for the 2007 tour toArgentina and played in the first test, a 22–20 defeat to a last minuteFelipe 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.
Wallace was named inEddie O'Sullivan's 50-man training squad in preparation for the forthcomingWorld Cup to be held in France. Wallace made his fifth test appearance in Ireland's World Cup Warm-Up test againstScotland atMurrayfield.
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 byAndy Henderson finally defeating Ireland. The next day Wallace was duly named in Ireland's squad for the World Cup. Outside of Irish legendRonan O'Gara Wallace was the only recognised Out-Half in the Irish squad, something which drew much criticism upon coachEddie O'Sullivan.
Wallace also came on as a substitute in the non-cap warm-up game with FrenchTop 14 sideBayonne; a match that as subsequently been dubbed the "Battle of Bayonne" due to the extremely physical nature of the game which included Ireland captainBrian O'Driscoll leaving the field with a brokensinus. Wallace was named on the bench for the historic international atRavenhill between Ireland andItaly however he was unused.
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 coachEddie 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 anInside 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 the2009 Six Nations Championship and Grand Slam,[1] their first Grand Slam in 61 years. There was massive relief for Wallace afterStephen 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 signatures of Irish fans the first being his son.[citation needed]
Wallace was chosen for the2011 Rugby World Cup and played two games but missed the2012 Six Nations Championship through injury. He played 9 times forUlster Rugby in the league scoring 3 tries.
