Openside gambit from Luke Wallace: “I’ll oust Chris Robshaw”
And he has put Quins team-mate and current England captain Chris Robshaw on notice that he aims to usurp his place for both club and country.
As debate rages over England’s reluctance to deploy a specialist No.7, Wallace believes a gap in the market is ready to be exploited.
With Steffon Armitage off limits and rivals Andy Saull, of Saracens, and Worcester‘s Matt Kvesic lacking game time, he may be correct.
But in order to follow in the footsteps of his hero, New Zealand skipper Richie McCaw, Wallace must make it his business to depose Robshaw.
“It’s tough being behind Chris and my aim isn’t to get him out of the England team, it’s to push him to No.6,” Wallace, 22, told The Rugby Paper.
“No.7 is where I like to play and it’s where I see my future, so Conor (O’Shea, Quins director of rugby) might have to make the first move there.
“But I think he’s open to it and if I’m playing well enough and pushing hard to get in the side, hopefully I can push him to make that decision.”
There is no wavering from Wallace over which position suits him best.
While some back rows will happily switch between positions, the former Haywards Heath junior shows a healthy determination to stand by his chosen trade.
Citing his admiration for McCaw and Australia‘s Michael Hooper, Wallace explained: “The way the rules are at the moment I think it’s open for a specialist No.7, someone that’s good on the ground and really looks to keep the ball moving.
“Richie is the obvious one to look at, isn’t he, and I pay close attention to what he and the other No.7s do by going through international games.
“What I’m taking from Richie at the moment is how well he wraps his arms around people in the tackle. He doesn’t miss many and is very solid.
“And last weekend I thought Michael Hooper really took his chance against England. He’s a similar age to me and did what he does really well, which is tackling, getting in at the ball and then running hard when he had the chance.
“Our back row at Quins is very competitive and there’s a lot of experience there, but the key is to show that I offer something a bit different.
“That’s been the case for me over the last couple of years and I’ve got to keep showing what I contribute in keeping our ball fast and slowing their ball down is different to what the other boys offer in their carrying capabilities or whatever.”
Having enjoyed a recent run of matches in the absence of king-pin Robshaw, Wallace captained Quins in last week’s LV=Cup game against Bath.
He responded by producing a man of the match display as a young Quins outfit repelled everything the visitors threw at them to seal a memorable win.
Wallace, who burst on to the scene with 15 Premiership appearances last season, added: “It’s been great to get an opportunity and the captaincy was a bonus.
“I’ve captained our A side but it was my first time captaining the senior team and it added something to my game. It was definitely a good experience.
“It’s been frustrating not playing as much as I did last season, but everyone’s been fit and Conor’s been very good about explaining things.
“He’s happy with the way I’m developing and where we are as a team, so it’s just a case of being fit and on form to take my chances.
“Last year I was surprised to get the game time I did so early on because of injuries and I felt I deserved to stay in the side for as long as I did.
“This year I’ve had fewer opportunities to press my case, but I’m sure the chances will come and my aim is to get Chris moved to that other flank!”
NEALE HARVEY
