The ace behind the pack

First things first. I put it to Peter Stringer, were you asking for it just a little bit when Alessandro Troncan threw that haymaker in Rome?

At first, the 5 ft 7 inch, 11 stone dynamo looked aghast, but after a moment or two a little smile gathered at the side of his mouth. And the very certain inference was that if Troncan felt HE had been provoked, so, too, did Stringer!

"From what I remember, I was dragged through a ruck by one of their forwards and I suppose I became a bit annoyed and looked for the nearest Italian jersey to pull back," he explained.

"The next thing I knew, I was on the ground. I never saw the punch coming. He had his back to me and turned around and got me with a full swing."

So far, so good ... but Peter, were you asking for it?

"Well, the rest of the Irish squad said I was and if Troncan didn’t hit me, one of them was going to," he laughed.

"He probably over reacted a small bit but these niggly things happen. In fairness he didn’t have his hand fully clenched and there are no grudges. It was nothing serious, just a bit of a bruise, he apologised and that’s that."

Peter Stringer may be one of the smallest players ever to establish himself on an international side but it’s not something that bothers either himself or his coaches.

The sight of Stringer haranguing forwards who are so much bigger is one of the great attractions of the Munster and Ireland teams. It’s a role that comes easily to him and one that those in front are perfectly happy for him to play.

Furthermore, outside backs like Brian O’Driscoll speak in ecstatic terms of the speed of his delivery that in turn gives them an extra second or two in which to operate.

"Peter’s pass is one of the best around speed wise, it is just whipped out," said O’Driscoll this week.

As for his size and the fact that he is invariably giving stones and inches to every opponent, it’s something he claims to actually enjoy.

"If I was to play against fellas my own size, I would think I was playing in an under 16 competition," he smiled. "It’s great to be able to compete with the bigger guys, it makes you stand out and be noticed. I really enjoy being the smallest fella on the field. Tackling is one of my strongest points, I’ve worked on my technique over the years and I’m always going to go in low. Being the smallest guy on the pitch is nothing new to me."

Peter wins his ninth cap against the French on Saturday having firmly established himself as the country’s top scrum-half. From his first game against Scotland, he has slotted very comfortably into the international scene and for this he pays due tribute to the success enjoyed by Munster.

"The level at which the European Cup is played and the quality of opposition we meet means it is a stepping stone to international rugby and makes it easier to adapt to that level," he said. "It’s something I love, I always look forward to playing for Ireland. Going out in front of 50,000 people, you have to love it. If you’re too nervous then, your career will quickly come to an end. It’s when you’re away from the ground that you’re thinking about everything, but when you’re stuck in the middle of it you have no option but to deal with it."

Munster coach Declan Kidney is just one of many who reminds us that the surprise element introduced by Stringer and Ronan O’Gara last year would not be there this time and that they would be watched a lot more closely. ‘Second season syndrome’ they call it, but so far at any rate the talented duo haven’t done too badly.

They don’t talk yet in terms of a Lions tour for the Irish number 9 but they may begin to do so after Saturday, especially if he and the Irish team in general produce the kind of performance that electrified the Stade de France last April.

"The mood in the camp before the game was excellent. We were coming off some very good results and many of us didn’t have the baggage of defeat that a lot of guys might have had. It was an intimidating place but I loved the atmosphere. The Irish anthem was fabulous, then to hear the noise for the French anthem was awesome."

Then the game began and France started at a hundred miles an hour, it was the fastest twenty minutes I’ve ever experienced and we were lucky to hold them out.

"But we did and the belief grew that we could win. Brian O’Driscoll went on to get his three tries and finally I got the ball and kicked it into touch on the full because he ref had told us time was up. It is something that will live with me forever. I dropped to the ground with my hands in the air and RTE have been using in its ads, so it’s something that keeps being revived."

And this time round, can Ireland beat Les Bleus at Lansdowne Road for the first time since 1983. Peter Stringer is confident that the success of Munster against French sides will be a big help in that direction.

"Talking to fellas like Gaillimh and others who have a lot of experience against French sides, I realise how rarely I have lost to them and that has to be good," he stressed.

"It gives you the confidence to play good, open rugby, to have the confidence to move the ball that probably other Irish teams haven’t had in the past. With the likes of Magne around and a change of half-backs from last year and indeed a much different personnel, it’s going to be very difficult because the French won’t want to lose to Ireland two years in a row."