Richard Wallace will not play for Saracens in their English League Division One clash with Bristol on Sunday, thereby effectively ruling him out of consideration for Ireland's Test match against New Zealand at Lansdowne Road on November 15th.
Wallace, who has been sidelined for the past six weeks with torn ankle ligaments, was expected to make his comeback this week. Unfortunately the damage has taken longer than anticipated to heal. The former Garryowen winger missed Tuesday night's game against Oxford University and has conceded that he will not play on Sunday. "There is simply no way that I can make the Bristol game," he admitted. "In truth, I could have to wait for another two weeks before playing a match. I'm back in training, but am only doing some light running. Torn ankle ligaments are a notoriously fickle problem. They can heal quickly or take a long time. For me it has been six weeks now."
The incident which caused the damage was "silly and innocuous", admitted Wallace. "It was in a 100 per cent non-contact training session with Saracens. I went to try to catch a ball that was falling underneath me and simply wrenched the ankle."
The path to recovery has been time-consuming, embracing eight physio sessions per week alongside gym work. Unfortunately for Wallace, the injury could not have come at a more inopportune time.
Five tries in three matches, against Castres, Nice and Sale, illustrate the exceptional form that he had enjoyed. "I was playing really well, so obviously getting injured is a bit of a drawback. But you have to take these things in your stride.
"As far as being in with a shout for a place against the All Blacks was concerned, that was for others to judge. I was simply concentrating on playing well, something I will be trying to do when I return. If that gives me the opportunity to get back in the international setup, then that will be great."
Common perception suggested that Irish team manager Pat Whelan's presence at the Saracens-Bristol game could be directly attributed to Wallace's intended return to action, but that was never the case.
The performance of second row Paddy Johns (Saracens) and centre Kevin Maggs (Bristol) will also be scrutinised. Johns is disputing a second row berth alongside Malcolm O'Kelly for the All Blacks game with London Irish's Gabriel Fulcher.
Irish coach Brian Ashton is a keen admirer of Maggs, and the Bristol man will be hoping to edge out Mark McCall for a place in the centre.
The Irish team to face New Zealand will be announced on Sunday night on Whelan's return from the Saracens match. It is also anticipated that the Irish Development XV and the Exiles XV, who meet in Limerick on Tuesday, November 11th, will be announced.
Waisale Serevi, the most versatile back in world rugby, will revert to yet another position when he plays out-half for the Barbarians against Combined Services at Portsmouth in a Remembrance Day fixture on November 11th.
Serevi was switched from wing to scrum-half for Leicester last weekend and has played for his country throughout the back division.
