David Wallace Looks Forward to Twickenham

One game gone in the Six Nations championship, one win, and the big one coming up David Wallace is hopeful that his name will be called out when Brian O’Brien announces the team to play England later today in the Glenview Hotel. The ankle he went over on in the Welsh game is fine, I did very little on it during the week, worked with Ailbe McCormack, but took a full part in training yesterday and there were no problems..

Celebrations after the Welsh win began among family and friends in the Berkeley Court hotel and ended in a night club in Leapordstown racecourse and without any of their Welsh counterparts. They joined us for the past match function but not surprisingly they weren’t in great form, a little despondent, then a few days later I heard of Graham Henry’s resignation. Now while the result against us certainly didn’t help I don’t think it was because of it alone that he stood down. No one is hired or fired on one game, there were other factors, other results and the Welsh probably expected more. But that’s the nature of this game, you’re expected to do a job and if you don’t you face the consequences.
So after breakfast this morning the squad will gather and O’Brien will announce the side before they head off to Greystones RFC for the morning’s training session. Back then to the hotel for the usual round of media interviews after the official team announcement.

The mood in the Irish camp is particularly upbeat after the victory over Wales, I think we have to be happy with the way the team performed. As I said before we did a lot of what we set out to do and that’s the satisfying aspect but no-one is getting carried away. The game against England presents a different challenge entirely. They’re a side with no obvious weak links and some outstanding players and of course playing them in Twickenham in front of their own crowd makes it that bit harder. But not much, they’re a tough side, the toughest, wherever you play them. But we’ve beaten them before you know and there was no fluke about it, so there’s a certain amount of pressure on them as well.

Going head to head with the likes of Richard Hill doesn’t faze him nor do the comments made in a Sunday newspaper, I’m aware of what was said but wouldn’t give much thought to it. Nor will the others. Of course what he said was discussed but that’s the end of it as far as I’m concerned.

Despite the enormity of the challenge facing Ireland, Wallace is looking forward to the game, “The English game is always that bit different, a bigger occasion if you like. Not that our preparation is any different from any other match. But guys do get a little more wound up, there’s a bit more of a buzz. But it’s something I love, the whole atmosphere around the game, it’s slittle bit special.”