Jamie Heaslip has admitted that he will be "sad" as he passes David Wallace as the most-capped Irish back-row in Test history.

No.8 Heaslip, 31, will win his 73rd Test cap when he captains Ireland against Wales in the Rugby World Cup warm-up game today.

"In a weird way I was a little bit gutted to be honest," Heaslip told reporters. "I was a little bit sad, because I hold Wally with particularly high regard, as a player and as a bloke, but as a back-row guy as well.

"I was a bit sad to be honest, that I passed one of my idols, and especially in the last World Cup he was one of the guys that I unfortunately saw him play his last international. Yeah, I was pretty sad to be honest.

"It's cool obviously, on one side, but I think Wally was probably one of the best, if not the best, back-row player I've ever played with or against, and probably the best who played for Ireland."

Wallace won 72 Ireland caps between 2001 and 2011, and featured on the 2001 and 2009 British and Irish Lions tours.