GERRY THORNLEYfinds that the flanker is not willing to get ahead of himself regarding selection for the Lions
MAYBE IT was the way the sun shone on Thomond Park on Sunday, but once again you had the distinct impression Munster forwards don’t appear to grow old, but merely age like good wine. David Wallace is a classic case in point, his latest vintage performance showing yet again that, at 32, he has never played better.
Generating yards when he had no right to in trademark style, bursting off the base of the scrum three times in the lead-up to scores, drifting Ryan Jones back off the base of an Ospreys’ scrum, it was another tour de force by the Munster backrower. It also looked tailor made for top of the ground conditions in South Africa.
Were the Lions first Test team picked tomorrow, he’d look a nailed on certainty for a place in the backrow. Physically, he has admitted to never setting better marks in strength and speed tests, and when asked if he was playing the best rugby of his career he attributed any improvements to the environment he works in.
“It’s just great to be part of a winning team, but yes, I’d like to think I’ve developed my game. When you think back five or six years, I’ve learned a lot from coaches, technically, to be more than just a good runner with the ball; be better technically, the little things, become more of a complete player.”
In any event, Lions ambitions are an aside for the time being to the business of maintaining their twin assault on a unique Heineken Cup/Magners League double.
Typical of the champions’ mindset when reflecting on the 43-9 win over the Ospreys, Wallace was not of a mind to sing from the rooftops just yet. “I think we still have a lot to improve on. Obviously we’re happy with the final scoreline but you could say some of that was down to a few lucky breaks that we got, and we finished them well, which took us further away. They came out and scored first in the second-half, and they’re the type of team who can score from anywhere – it could have swung either way.”
He wasn’t entertaining the notion that this was as complete a Heineken Cup performance as Munster have produced. “We’re going to have to look at the video to see where things went wrong, at times; the scoreline would give that impression but it was tough out there for long periods. We took our tries when they were on offer but if we hadn’t, maybe it would have been a different story.”
He does accept Munster have deeper strength in depth compared to when they reached their first final nine years ago. “We have an absolutely brilliant squad now, a lot of guys who come in and do as well – if not better – than the guys who are playing. I think we’ve all learned down through the years, there’s great experience in the squad, we’ve learned how to win big games.”
His ball-carrying has often made him an auxiliary back, but less so of late. “It’s absolutely brilliant, as a pack you look up from a maul or a ruck, a scrum or a lineout, and you see the backs doing serious damage, scoring tries – that gives you a huge lift. All you do is win your first phase and next thing they’re gaining ground, scoring tries, it just gives you a huge boost – it’s like tries for free, just brilliant.”
Twice he was over the Ospreys line on Sunday, but Wallace concedes that despite the more obvious claims for the first one, the TMO probably made the correct call. “I did get across the line, but from the camera angle it was never clear-cut. They weren’t going to give it – maybe I should have dived (for the line) earlier.”
All told, 14 of Munster’s starting XV have played at Croke Park this season, which may make it feel almost like a home from home, but then again so have seven of Leinster’s squad. “Leinster have a lot of experience of playing there also, so it mightn’t be that much of an advantage,” said Wallace. And besides, May 2nd is liable to be a game entirely unto itself.
