After years serving as the understudy to Ronan O'Gara, Wallace finally broke into the starting line-up at inside centre for this season's RBS 6 Nations.

But injuries to each eye sustained in the victories against France and Italy have left the 29-year-old needing 18 stitches and confined him to just 92 minutes on the pitch.

It is hardly the way Wallace, who has been in tremendous form for Ulster this season, envisaged what should have been a personal triumph.

But having held off the challenge of Gordon D'Arcy for the number 12 jersey for a third successive match, he believes a change of fortune is imminent against England on Saturday.

"I'd have liked to have stayed on the pitch a lot longer but it's been a bad run of luck and hopefully that's over now," he said.

"Against Italy I got a knee dropped on me, I think purely accidentally, and as Brian O'Driscoll was coming over to clear out the ruck I rolled into his fist.

"It was a combination of the two that caused me to come off. Nothing like this has happened before.

"You expect to get the odd stitch once a year but I had four stitches against Munster in January so that's my third dose. It's 22 in total now.

"You wouldn't expect that to happen over the course of three years, never mind consecutive weeks so it was very frustrating.
"There was an element of bad luck to it but that's rugby, that's sport - you've just got to roll with it.

"Maybe I'll have to wear a mask or a cycle helmet next time I go onto the pitch.

"It's obviously been frustrating but at the same time we've won our first two 6 Nations matches and we're in a good position - you have to take the positives.

"I've been given the opportunity again this week and hopefully I can back up the (head coach) Declan Kidney's decision."

Wallace insists a full match will enable him to flourish in the role expected of him - to help fly-half O'Gara pull the strings in midfield.

But he is aware his tackling will be equally crucial with England expected to target himself and O'Gara, a fragile defender, with their ball carriers.

"I know my duties playing at 12 in an Irish team is to bring other players into the game and be a second playmaker alongside Ronan," he said.

"I probably haven't had that opportunity on too many occasions in the first two Tests so I'll be looking to stamp my authority on the team on Saturday.

"In rugby these days you often go for the 10-12 channel - it's probably the easiest places to develop go-forward ball, regardless of who is playing which position.

"Ronan and myself, I'm sure they'll be coming at us but we're prepared for that."

Title-chasing Ireland top the RBS 6 Nations table after two rounds and Wallace insists momentum is starting to build.

"We entered the championship on the back of a good win against Argentina in the autumn," he said.

"The squad has developed that winning mentality now. We've won our first two matches and confidence is everything."