Then again, guts and fortitude have been hallmarks of his game ever since he first pulled on a pair of boots at Presentation Brothers, Cork. He quickly came under the influence of Declan Kidney, the man responsible for a whole host of successful Pres teams and now, of course, Stringer’s coach with Munster. Kidney was convinced from an early stage that here indeed was a rich talent and when it came to a contest between Stringer, Tom Tierney and Brian O’Meara, he didn’t hesitate.
Tierney and O’Meara might already have been internationals and very talented, too, but for Kidney there really wasn’t a contest. Having trusted Stringer with the position last season and not been in the least disappointed, it was inevitable that he should pursue a similar course in the current campaign. Stringer, it transpired, was better than ever. Munster reached the quarter finals of the Heineken European Cup, Ireland flopped against England and inevitably the door to that first coveted cap opened.
“Of course I was nervous before the Scottish game but, more than that, I was just anxious to get out there such was the hype and expectation,” he says. “The pace initially was a lot more than I had previously experienced but I got more and more used to it. I felt I coped pretty well although I did get a bit tired towards the end. I felt absolutely fine from the start of the Italy game, I’m a fit kind of guy by nature, and it probably wasn’t as big a step up as I had expected.”
Stringer had decided before his first cap that he would stand beside Mick Galwey during the pre match formalities. He did so again against Italy when the delightful little cameo of the big Kerryman with his arms around both Peter and Ronan O’Gara was graphically captured by television and press cameras.
“I felt proud to be out there standing beside Gaillimh”, says Stringer. “He has this marvellous way with people and he has been tremendous for Irish rugby. He was a big influence in the training sessions, telling me not to be fazed by all the hype and to go out and enjoy it for this was something special. And of course he was right.”
Captain Wood was also a calming influence. “He just told me to play my own game and not to let the occasion get to me,” says Peter appreciatively.
Scotland and Italy, however, are now history and the big test of New Ireland comes at the Stade de France on Sunday. Typical of the man’s burgeoning confidence, Peter Stringer has no intention of being intimidated by the occasion.
“It was nice to get settled in with two home wins and so we couldn’t have had better preparation for Paris,” he says. “The public are back on our side, their support in my first two matches was brilliant and hopefully there will be a lot of Irish there on Sunday as well. I have played a good few games in France by now and so I’m used to the whole away atmosphere thing. Winning with Munster at Colomiers in the European Cup proved that winning in France is not so impossible and we have a lot of Munster players in the Irish squad.
“I have also played there for the Irish Universities and UCC and for Munster at Perpignan last year. That was incredible, they had speakers almost in the touch flags and the bands, the drums, the people, the noise, it was quite awesome. It was new then and while you probably never get used to it, we now know what to expect. The last two meetings France and Ireland have been very close and everyone in the squad is very confident.” While the elements of the scrum half game seem to come naturally to Stringer and just about everybody has been extremely impressed by the speed with which he gets the pass away, it’s with a feeling of surprise that many focus on his tackling expertise, chiefly because he is so small.
“It’s not something I’ve ever had a problem with,” he says. “I’ve always been on the small side and not known anything else, there’s nothing I’ve had to change. Coaches haven’t seen it as a hindrance to my progress, tackling is just another aspect, like passing for instance. I love tackling, I love the physical side of things. I feel great after the first tackle and then can’t wait for the next one. I suppose you’re noticed more when such a small guy can bring down big second row forwards. And anyway, come to think of it, it’s unlikely I’ll ever be accused of going too high.”
Rugby is taking precedence right now over everything, even pursuing his chemistry studies. He has completed two of the four year course at UCC but readily agrees: “That’s on hold for now, playing with Ireland, Munster and Shannon means I already have three masters and an extra one would be a complication.
“Munster and the European Cup is always at the back of my mind”, he confesses. “We try to get together every two weeks so we can stay focused on Stade Francais on April 15. It will be a massive occasion for us all but because of the intensity of the matches at present, I must take it one day at a time.” Who knows what the future holds but for now the belief that Ireland have found a couple of gems in Ronan O’Gara and Peter Stringer holds strong indeed. Not surprisingly, the scrum half is more than happy with things as they stand at present.
“We have been together both at Pres and Munster and so I know Ronan and the game he plays very well,” says Stringer. “We had a nervy first 15 minutes against Scotland but after that we settled down. The atmosphere, the crowd were just terrific and really it’s something you can’t get too much of.”
The 60,000 or so Frenchmen at the palatial Stade de France will be singing a different tune on Sunday.
They won’t bother Peter Stringer all that much.
