Paddy Wallace will be returning to the field with the Ulster Ravens against Ayr in the third game of this season’s British and Irish Cup. This will be the first match that Paddy has played in nine months due to a knee injury that he sustained against Glasgow Warriors in the RaboDirect PRO12 in February, resulting in him missing the rest of last season.
Paddy you maybe thought you would never be back in an Ulster jersey after your injury?
PW: It’s really nice to be involved again in a match week, albeit with the A team, and I’m excited about getting back and playing again. You obviously doubt whether you would get back to this point and there’s doubt on whether your knee would hold up after the serious injury that I had or whether I could play rugby at a professional level again. Training has been going very well for the last few weeks and I’m just excited about getting into match training week as a player again.
How difficult have the last nine months been?
PW: It is frustrating when you get the injury and you know your timelines but you get on with it and get the head down and work hard. You know what’s ahead and you know all the work that needs done. What I did was set myself short term attainable goals, and every time you make those goals you feel that you’re achieving something and you can move onto the next one rather than looking at nine months down the road as it seems too long looking at it from that perspective.
Have you ever played at Ayr before?
PW: I’ve been waiting to play there for 15 years! It’s nice to get a game at a level that I’m hopefully not out of my depth at too early. Hopefully, I can play my way into the game and just feel comfortable playing rugby again and this may not be a bad level to start at.
You feel that you still have plenty to offer Ulster over the next couple of seasons?
PW: Yes, I would like to think so. I thought I had been playing some of my better rugby over the last couple of seasons and hopefully I can get back to the level I was at before I got injured. There’s plenty of competition and plenty of guys that are playing at a level that requires them to be away on international duty so hopefully there will be opportunities for players like myself that can offer a bit of experience and you just have to be ready when you have your number called that you are ready to play at a level. I have goals still to reach within Ulster and that’s what’s driving me forward to come back from this injury and play.
With thanks to Ulster Rugby Communications Manager Neil Brittain.
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