Interview / David Wallace: David Wallace tells Gerry Thornley there are no nefarious forces stopping him playing more often for Ireland. It's mostly down to injury and loss of form

There are enough conspiracy theories out there about David Wallace's exclusion from Irish squads to entail a grassy knoll, a book depository and a magic bullet. He's heard them all, he reckons, and happily recounts them as if to highlight how daft they all are.

Some of the theories are not so daft, and relatively printable as well. A training ground bust-up with Eddie O'Sullivan which, knowing how easy-going Wallace is off the pitch, is however less plausible than the grassy knoll.

A lost passport during the 2003 World Cup he concedes happened, but he reckons hardly holds any sway on subsequent selections. Besides, he's been picked since.

There's also a theory floating around that Wallace insisted on both he and his fiancé Aileen travelling by business class from their holidays to the 2003 World Cup when he was, as is customary for him, called up as a late replacement for the stricken Alan Quinlan. No, he didn't insist upon this, and as he explains it, if there was any fall-out for what happened then it would be a huge surprise to him.

Yet, like Trevor Brennan and Bob Casey, Wallace's exclusion has almost made him into something of a cause célèbre and it's hard not to think something is amiss. How else, for example, can one explain the curious omission of Wallace from the list of 44 players who are profiled on the official IRFU website, despite him being in the expanded 32-man squad for November?

The danger in becoming a cause célèbre is that there might then be some who would pursue a vendetta against him. Wallace is not one to become easily annoyed, but there's a part of him that holds no truck with all the conspiracy theories, not least because they mightn't reflect well on him as a person.

Wallace has only played in six of Ireland's last 42 Tests dating back to the end of the 2002-03 season (strikingly, he has scored tries in four of those half-dozen appearances). Yet as he takes an hour out of his day one lunchtime this week in a hotel bar, content merely with one soft drink, he remains so unassuming, polite, self-deprecating, and good-humoured about all the slings and arrows of his career, you think no player could be less suited to conspiracy theories or being a cause célèbre, never mind that it masks a ferocious competitor come kick-off.

Throughout the interview he argues, very plausibly, that his relatively sporadic appearances for Ireland can be attributed simply to injuries and his lack of a consistent run of games with his province.

"If I'm not playing for Munster, how can I be playing for Ireland?" he asks rhetorically, with that engaging smile of his.

There's also never been a more competitive area during his career in Munster than the backrow, while the surfeit of sevens is quite extraordinary. He had long since been touted as the most talented of the trinity of Wallaces who've made it with Munster, Ireland and the Lions, given he combined Richie's pace with Paul's power - and even the big brothers wouldn't dispute that. Even so, young David had to bide his time while Eddie Halvey held onto occupancy of the Munster number seven jersey.

"I was subbing for a year and a half or two years, and you really have to make the grade when you come in. So I mean, it's not such a big step to get into the Irish scene when you actually make it on to the Munster backrow. It can happen quite quickly anyway. The same even at this stage of your career. You have to be patient and then when you get back in it's not such a huge step again."

But despite being a regular for Munster in the 1999-2000 season, when along with Keith Wood and Mike Mullins he was one of Munster's main gamebreakers in their charge to the Heineken European Cup final, the returning Kieron Dawson was preferred to him for the 1999 World Cup - even though he scored a try in Munster's win over Ireland in a warm-up game.

An ever-present again for Munster in 2000-01, we'll never know how his and Ireland's season might have panned out but for the interruption of the foot-and-mouth outbreak. Warren Gatland then said of Wallace: "Ball in hand, he's the best loose forward in the world."

"That's quite a grandiose statement," says Wallace with more self-deprecating smiles. When you tell him that George Hook reckons he's the most mistreated Irish rugby player of the last 10 years, he responds: "Another grandiose statement." Not inclined toward them himself, others make them for him.

In any event, Wallace was in his pomp then, but sadly the fates haven't been too kind since. Throughout 2002-03 his right shoulder bothered him and even sidelined him for a while, and although he returned for the Six Nations, "to be honest my form wasn't good after and it was kind of going down and down every game.

"It (the shoulder) was just weak. It wasn't strong and it was sore, and it was actually only toward the end of the season when it was coming right, Munster got to the final again that year, I went up (to Dublin) to get it tested and was told I needed an operation."

He missed the tour to New Zealand, but only had the operation in July. He returned for Garryowen in the New Year. "It was still pretty sore. At times I was actually in agony with it," he says, chuckling slightly. "I couldn't tackle with it really."

Another test revealed a reaction to the three bolts which had been inserted had caused a huge cyst in his shoulder. "I was getting run down and coming out in sweats, and feeling really fluey, but didn't realise what it was," he says, again chortling at how ridiculous it all was. So another operation ensued and not only was 2002-03 a write-off, it left him with a race against time to make the 2003 World Cup.

He made two brief replacement appearances in Tonga and Samoa the preceding summer, but Mike Mullins recently showed Wallace a picture of him in a T-shirt on that tour. "To see the shoulder is amazing. It's just tiny."

Despite scoring tries in both his warm-up trials, from half-way as a replacement against Wales, and again in Murrayfield against Scotland, the following morning he missed the 30-man cut. "I remember players saying to me: 'ah, you're in Wally,' but I knew from the vibes that I was down the pecking order."

Though a late replacement again, he has still never played in a World Cup match and is now 29.

Again pretty much in ownership of the Munster number seven jersey that season, he earned a one-off recall for, of all games, the Triple Crown win against Scotland. "It was a bit strange watching it and the following week being a part of it. I didn't think I was going to be. It was such a big game, and you don't know when you're cards are up or when you're going to get a chance again.

"I was very nervous, but when you're nervous you generally perform. I wasn't happy I was so nervous, but I was welcoming it if not enjoying it."

As one-offs go, it wasn't a bad one, Wallace even decorating the day with a trademark, unstoppable try.

Earmarked for last year's 10-week pre-season, Sod's Law meant this gave Denis Leamy his chance, one which Leamy grabbed with those big bear-like hands of his.

Wallace admits that a sense of desperation made him try too hard, and his confidence waned. By his own admission, he didn't play well last season, though toward the end of it his form improved with a run of games.

So desperate has been the campaign to have Wallace's ball-carrying accommodated somewhere, anywhere, he has even been converted to the centre, never mind six, seven or eight. He's reluctant to nominate a favourite position.

"It's a hard question to answer, because if I say one position then people say he doesn't like the other. I love playing seven and I loved playing eight at school. I suppose you're getting your hands on the ball a lot and I've played a few times there for Munster and loved it again."

In theory, so to speak, versatility should enhancehis chances of recognition. "Unless you fall between two stools. Jack-of-all-trades and master of none. I do worry a little bit that that might be a factor. It's hard to know, it really is hard to know."

An ankle injury briefly interrupted his momentum in October but he reckons his form is much better than last season. "I can't put my finger on why but hopefully, it continues," he says, although admitting that but for injury to the unfortunate Alan Quinlan, who was flying at the time, it might have panned out differently.

Ironically, when Quinlan's knee initially went at Sale, Trevor Hogan was brought on as replacement and Wallace thought to himself, "Is this season going to go like last season?" And then 10 minutes later it had all changed again.

Wherever he plays Wallace also admits that (Ireland forwards coach) Niall O'Donovan recently encouraged him to increase his aggression in the tackle. Last week came another man-of-the-match award to add grist to the campaign for his return.

But again, modesty forbids. "I was kind of surprised I got it, to be honest, because I made a good few mistakes in the game as well," he says, and points to dropping a restart, losing a ball in contact, "got one knocked out of my hand and dropped another one as well. My work going forward was quite good, I suppose, but I was surprised. There was plenty to work on."

Maybe brother Paul, now a pundit, decided the award? "Nah, he'd never give me one." Which prompts a thought about another conspiracy theory floating around, namely that Paul's media criticisms . . . Nah, let's not go there either.

Both brothers also played for Saracens, and the younger sibling has been approached by Leinster in the past. "It has to be an option and if you're not looking at the options you're being a bit narrow-minded. So never say never."

Nonetheless, he could hardly live with himself if he moved to new pastures and Munster subsequently reached their Holy Grail. "That's another factor, and I think that day will come. It's also a great set-up, more like a family than anything else. With English clubs players tend to come and go all the time."

Nor would he be one for heading abroad in a sulk, and to that end the desire to play for Ireland burns as fiercely. "As much as ever. Definitely."

In the heel of the hunt, Wallace's exclusions from Munster and Irish squads became harder to fathom post-Keith Wood and Victor Costello. Given the relative shortage of dynamic ball-carriers about and O'Sullivan's stated desire to develop a more ball-in-hand game, there is still no better ball-carrying forward in Irish rugby, even if Leamy's emergence gives him a genuine rival.

Ultimately, therefore, if Wallace continues in his current vein of form with Munster and is again overlooked through the Six Nations, it might, after all, be time for Oliver Stone to investigate.