As part of our Jameson Caskmates & Tonic Social Serve Series, iconic Irish rugby duo Alan Quinlan and David Wallace sat down in the latest episode to discuss the good old early days of their fascinating careers.
Instantly, Alan and David began to reminisce about days gone by, what the other was like on day one in Munster and how things changed as their careers advanced from the amateur era and into the professional.
"I used to just do that at the line-out, just hold onto your jersey at the back of mauls. I used to just annoy the life out of you", said Alan, fondly reminiscing about the days when Shannon and Garryowen would do battle and Alan would try anything to get the better of David, who was full of tricks. The duo's class was clear from an early stage.
Possibly one of the biggest changes in their careers is the absence of the club rivalries within the provincial set-up that were there during the dying days of the amateur era in the 1990s.
“There was an edge [and a rivalry] to that whole Munster environment back then because of the club game in Limerick,” Alan recalls.
“I played for Shannon, you played for Garryowen and the Cork lads had their own clubs.”
David attributes this healthy rivalry within the provincial teams to the competitiveness and the importance that was placed on the AIL (All-Ireland League) at the time.
“The crowds that clubs got those days were brilliant and it just fed into the whole excitement of playing for your club and playing for your parish”, said David.
Alan then, probably already knowing the answer he was going to get, asked David what he was like to play with and against. David’s response? “Filthy! Absolutely filthy!”
The red mist would descend upon Alan on occasion and it was something that David had to help him out of every so often.
“Do you remember you used to say to me, 'Now Wally, in this game just calm me down now if I’m losing it!'"
Never a dull nostalgic moment between two figures who so regularly lit up the Irish rugby scene.
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