| Birth name | Paul Stephen Wallace | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | (1971-12-30)30 December 1971 (age 53) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Cork,Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 110 kg (17 st 5 lb; 240 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Crescent College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University College Cork | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Richard Wallace (brother) David Wallace (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Paul Stephen Wallace (born 30 December 1971) is a former Irishrugby union player who played tight headprop forIreland and theBritish & Irish Lions. Wallace was once regarded as the world's best tight-head prop, and was known as a very effective scrummager, and a player with good ball skills.[1]
Wallace currently works forSky Sports as a rugbypundit and is also a contributor to theDaily Mail andRugby World magazine as well asToday FM'sThe Last Word.
During his rugby playing career Wallace played withUCC,Munster,Blackrock College RFC, Leinster before moving to professional club,Saracens whom he played with from 1996 to 2001 before returning toLeinster in 2001. He played at international level with Ireland and theBritish Lions, representing Ireland at junior levels before making his full international debut againstJapan in the1995 Rugby World Cup inBloemfontein to play alongside his brother Richard. He went on to win 46 caps for Ireland between 1995 and 2002.[2] His final match for Ireland was againstGeorgia in a world cup qualifier atLansdowne Road in September 2002.[3]
Wallace was selected to tour South Africa with the1997 British Lions. He became one of only five members of the tour who played the full duration of all three tests. He was a very influential player in the winning of the series, facingOs du Randt in thescrum[4] and was subsequently described by captain,Martin Johnson, as his "player of the series",[1] with tour managerFran Cotton regarding him as the cornerstone of the Lions scrum.[citation needed]
In January 2001 he suffered a seriously broken ankle playing forSaracens againstUlster, which he recovered from. But further complications saw him retire in December 2003 after winning theCeltic League with Leinster.[5]
Wallace is currently a pundit forSky Sports, giving expert opinion and analysis during their rugby union broadcasts.[6] He also writes a Saturday column for the Irish Daily Mail and is a rugby panellist for the Last Word show on Today FM. Wallace is a judging panel member for theInternational Rugby Board Player of the Year Award.[7]
As well his media work, Paul is also adirector of Bircroft Property Finance (Ireland), an internationaldebt structuring firm for commercial property. He previously worked for International property company, Jones Lang La Salle, dealing in international commercial property sales and acquisitions.
Wallace's younger brotherDavid, previously played for Munster, won 72 caps playing for Ireland and toured on the2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa but retired in 2012 due to a recurring knee injury. His older brotherRichard playedwing for Ireland, and retired from international rugby in 1999 after earning 29 caps for Ireland and touringNew Zealand with the1993 Lions. All three Wallace brothers have made theGuinness Book of Records as the only three members of one family to play for the Lions.
Wallace is married to Barbara Loftus.[8] Loftus is senior producer toMatt Cooper on Today FM's drivetime programme,The Last Word.[9]