Enjoying a fruitful Indian summer to his career and one game away from a Premiership final, Peter Stringer remains as "excited" as ever about the prospect of extending his career by at least one more season with Sale Sharks.
The Manchester club confirmed that the 37-year-old Stringer, Ireland's most capped scrumhalf and fourth most capped player with 98 tests, will be joining them from Bath next season. This will be Stringer's fourth English club, after loan spells at Saracens, Newcastle and Bath, before he stayed in Somerset for two one-year deals.
“It’s great news and it’s exactly what I wanted. I believe I can play on for another year and I’m excited about the prospect,” Stringer told The Irish Times last night.
It has been an anxious season for Stringer since being informed by Bath in the autumn that they would be releasing him, and rumoured dialogue with Leinster amongst other possible suitors in England and France. "There were a couple of other interested clubs and obviously there was talk of going to Leinster for a few months to cover for the World Cup but my aim was always to get something more long-term – a season at least. The opportunity came to join Sale and continue playing in the top flight Premiership rugby, which was great."
Decade ago
With the help of a new diet over the last two years, Stringer maintains he feels as good now as he did a decade ago. “So many people, especially in the last few months, cite my age as a key conversation starter and at times that would creep into my mind. ‘Okay I’m 37. It probably isn’t normal for someone of this age to continue playing.’ But then when you search for reasons as to why you should stop playing, I really can’t come up with any reasons.
“I feel good. I love the game. I feel like I’m playing at the top of my game. We’ve a Premiership semi-final at the weekend, I’m starting regularly for Bath and things have been going well in the last couple of months. My belief in myself never dwindled even when I wasn’t in the match-day squad. So I feel really good and I’m just excited about playing for another year.”
Indeed, after being recalled to the replacements for the European Champions Cup quarter-final defeat away to Leinster, Stringer has started in four successive wins (three of them with bonus points) which has earned Bath a Premiership semi-final against Leicester at the Rec next Saturday.
“In the weeks I hadn’t been involved I just kept my head down and worked really hard, and stayed motivated, knowing these things can come around.”
While it will be a wrench to leave the upwardly mobile West Country club, there is the prospect of a glorious finale. “It would be a really good reward for the progress we’ve made in the last two-and-a-half seasons since I first arrived here on loan. There was a little bit of a transition at the start of last season, when we brought in a lot of young guys and changed up the coaching staff, and the amount of work we’ve put in to finish the regular season on 75 points and just one point off the top – which I think has never been done before – is proof of that progress.
“The rugby we play is very exciting. We’re generating quick ball and moving teams around the place and getting our backs running into space and giving them the opportunities to score tries. So yeah, to finish off here with a Premiership final and a Premiership title would be really special.”
Stringer's treatment by his native Munster under the previous Rob Penney-Simon Mannnix coaching ticket was decidedly curious, but having relaunched his career in the Premiership, the current Munster coach Anthony Foley could not conceal his admiration for his former teammate.
Tick a box
“Benjamin Button,” he quipped when asked for his reaction to Stringer’s latest career move. “Fair play to the man, I think when he goes there, he’ll add something. He’s not just going there to play for another year, to tick a box. He’s going there to get ahead of
Chris Cussiter
and force his way into the Sale side and try to extend his career even further I’d imagine. He’s fit, he’s durable, he’s a very smart player who doesn’t fail that often. He doesn’t break.
“He’s a guy you can depend on week on week. You can put him in your squad and he’ll produce performances.”
