Munster cut still hurts Stringer

Peter Stringer is thankful Bath rescued him from “oblivion” at Munster after feeling he was unfairly ignored by Rob Penney and Simon Mannix.

The iconic Irish scrum-half is grateful to Gary Gold, head coach at the Aviva Premiership club, for believing in him and helping prolong his professional career.

Stringer says he is bitterly disappointed to have been forced to look for acclaim abroad rather than finish his career in Ireland. His predicament, much to the chagrin of Munster fans, began last season when outgoing Munster coach Tony McGahan allowed the experienced player move on loan to Saracens and Newcastle.

Delighted to be offered a 12-month contract when he returned, Stringer found himself dismayed that a new coaching team didn’t follow through on what he felt were promises made at pre-season team meetings.

“I came back from spells both with Saracens and Newcastle ready for whatever came up, I had a new one-year deal and the thinking was that new coaches were coming in so it would be a fresh start,” he said.

“I spoke with them at the start, both personally and in a group situation. They [Rob Penney and Simon Mannix] stood up and said it would be a clean slate for everyone, that there would be no preconceived ideas.

“I was up for it. I had a great pre-season, trained well but found myself not starting a game for a long time. It took me until Christmas time to get two starts and that was frustrating from my point of view. I have no qualms or issues that if I wasn’t playing well and not selected.

“The thing is that everyone wants a shot and I felt this season that I didn’t get an opportunity to play, given the fact that Conor [Murray] was away for a good bit of it as well and I still wasn’t getting a start in any of the pre-seasons or the Rabo. Ultimately all you want to do is to play the game and be allowed feel you still have something to contribute to a team.”

But as Stringer moves on to life beyond Munster, he will never forget the genuine mutual feeling of respect that exists between him and the fans in Munster and throughout the nation.

“Whatever happens going forward, I know that the fans have been unbelievable to me and I am aware of the reaction that they make when I come on or come off a pitch. That’s pretty humbling when you hear that. That is what makes me so proud of my time in Munster, and I suppose it’s so sad to have to leave too.”

He would have liked to have had a better send-off, a better way of saying goodbye to those who supported him throughout his career.

“In a sense, that’s the biggest hurt. I’ve been there all my life, so close to the place and the people there and it would have been nice to have a kind of fairytale send off that guys dream about. However, the brilliant memories I have from Munster over 15 seasons or so outweigh any personal hurt I might have.”

And those memories linger. It’s not all about the couple of Heineken Cup medals he picked up but more so about some great games, some great occasions, when Munster weren’t expected to win but did.

“God, there were so many good days apart from the obvious, the games against Gloucester and Sale, the Leicester quarter-final in Welford Road, the try I scored that day but only off the back of such a team effort from ROG [Ronan O’Gara], Hendo [Rob Henderson], Mikey [Mullins] and Quinny.!”

Stringer believes the future is bright, but won’t reveal his plans beyond that.

“I want to play on, I’m happy to have got a contract with such a quality club and be afforded the opportunity of living in such a lovely city.

“It’s almost like being at home. It [Bath] is steeped in tradition and there is a great work ethic. It’s great to be able to step into a similar environment.”

Meanwhile, Stringer last night said it wasn’t for him to judge any sentencing relating to players found guilty of offences during the heat of battle.

Stade Francais scrum-half Jerome Fillol was yesterday banned for 14 weeks — down from a possible 26 weeks due to his remorse, clean record and character references — after spitting at Stringer, his opposite number during an Amlin Challenge Cup clash last weekend.

It was, Stringer said, outside of his control once the investigation started. “I wouldn’t like to comment on the outcome of the disciplinary meeting other to say that I was disappointed with what happened in the game; that has no place in rugby or any walk of life,” he said.