David Wallace stands by coach Anthony Foley

Perhaps it’s a measure of the cold pragmatism that runs through professional rugby, or simply a career that among the many things it teaches, is to be numb to personal criticism.

Despite the traditional emotion in Munster rugby, former Ireland flanker David Wallace has taken an unemotional view of the misplaced emails that were sent out to the squad just before the season began.

His steely opinion after years with Munster, Ireland and the Lions is that the players should suck it up.

“I would have taken it on the chin, I think,” said the retired international backrow.

Less than a week before the new season, Munster coach Anthony Foley had to deal with what was reported as 'a potential crisis' after a damning internal squad review ended up in the hands of his players.

Updated weekly, the report outlined strengths and weaknesses and was understood to be personalised and in some instances critical.

“As a professional athlete you’re criticised to your face every week, that’s part of the game,” explained Wallace.

“You go into analysis and you’re critiqued and you’re told, ‘right, you messed up here’ and you’re brought into a coach’s office and they’re quite frank and you’re told what areas you need to improve on.

“It’s all part of being mature enough to take it as beneficial criticism that will make you a better player and a better team. So you’ve got to have an adult view on it, a grown-up view, and say, ‘right, these are the areas I need to work on’.”

Since the season began, or, the emails were dispatched Munster have fallen 13-14 to Edinburgh at home, beat Treviso 10-21 away, won again against Zebre at home 31-5 before falling in Thomond Park 14-19 to Welsh side Ospreys.

Inauspicious and while the venerable Wallace, a former team mate at provincial and international level and also a friend of Foley agrees that an electronic glitch wasn’t the perfect way to impart stinging observations, he believes in the virtues of tough love. The schools of conspiracy can swing.

“It’s something that went out that wasn’t supposed to have gone out. Guys are seeing it when they shouldn’t be seeing it,” he added…

“But in some ways it’s getting the message across a bit more if you’re going to be that mature about it and take it on the chin.”

Wallace added that the annual meeting of the provinces in Aviva Stadium has now taken on a life of its own but it will take Foley some time to get the players shaped into playing his way.

He has only casually chatted to Foley but has faith in the coach’s intelligence that was very much apparent when he was a player.

“It’s always difficult under a new coach, it doesn’t matter how long he’s been there, he’s now the head coach and it’s a different scenario,” says the 38-year-old.

“And he’ll have a lot of things he’ll want to change in the Munster style and in some respects he’ll want to change things totally, and that takes time in terms of adapting. You’re still between two stools until you do.

“He’ll have his own ideas, he was a very intelligent footballer and will have a great idea about what he wants to do.”

Wallace toured Australia with the 2001 British and Irish Lions following in the footsteps of his brothers Richard and Paul but had to wait until 2009 to earn his three Lions caps. His experience is talking.

“It’s about getting the message across,” he says. “I certainly thing he’s (Foley) the right man for the job and he’s going to be a successful coach.”