Too much at stake with Munster for Stephen Archer to start thinking about retirement yet

Munster’s Stephen Archer with his son Alex after the game. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

As distractions go, they could be less stressful than two must-win games to keep Munster’s season alive but high stakes rugby is the perfect antidote to intrusive thoughts of final farewells for the soon to retire Stephen Archer.

Munster’s record appearance maker will call time on a 18-year professional playing career when the current season ends, with this Friday’s penultimate game of the regular URC season the 37-year-old tighthead prop’s 302nd provincial cap.

The Corkman intends to make it past 304 with extending Munster’s season into the URC play-offs his main priority, starting this weekend against derby rivals Ulster in his final run at Thomond Park.

An emotional last hurrah in his hometown at Virgin Media Park awaits seven days later when Benetton visit Cork and Archer is intent on securing the points it will take to grab one of the top eight places in the standings to ensure knockout rugby and a tilt at a third league title of his long career.

He agreed there was too much at stake in the next fortnight to think about retirement.

"Definitely, that's it. It's a good distraction, no time for thinking about your lasts, your firsts when there's stakes like that,” Archer said.

"It's a big 80 minutes and we'll go from there, one game at a time."

Fellow veterans Peter O’Mahony and Conor Murray are also heading into their final home games as Munster players over the next two weeks and for his part Archer said it was easy to compartmentalise the personal emotions of a final lap in the red jersey from the needs of the collective.

“I think you just park it. You can get emotional about it, but it's 80 minutes on the pitch, XV v XV.

"There is obviously a big mental side to it but it’s probably going to be my last match in Thomond Park on Friday, that's one of them. Then Musgrave Park the following Friday but I won't get overly caught up on emotion with those things, just looking forward to putting in a good finish to the season, reaching the knockouts and go from there.

"There's no room for sentiment or having any special treatment, it's just get in and get the result, put in a good shift on Friday night."

Attempting to get the result is the highlight of Archer’s week these days, who admitted he will not miss the training in between, 18 years of which he said had taken “lots of toll on the body”.

"I've found the last few years recovery is a bit slow, but it's more the Monday-Friday is a bit of a slog. The Saturday I always find is easy to get up for in the heat of the battle.

"Sometimes, the old midweek stuff and the training... it's all part of it, but it can be a bit of a slog and tough on the body."

There is no easy way of achieving what the veteran prop has in playing more than 300 times for his province, as well as winning an AIL title with Cork Constitution and two Ireland caps, and he acknowledged as much this week.

"It's unusual, and being the first fella here to do it means a lot… but if someone else does it I'll be the first person to shake his hand and welcome him to the 300 club.

"So, yeah, look it's great and over the last week or two there's been great support, a lot of goodwill with the 300 caps (against Bordeaux-Begles) and the retirement. It's great.

"I'll take some time off, definitely, over the summer. Hopefully get up and running doing something this side of Christmas. A few things over the summer holiday wise, also do a bit of networking and see where I end up workwise.

Stephen Archer during a Munster training session. Pic: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy.

"I'll probably do a bit of coaching as well but not at professional level, I did it last year with my son's team, Con's Under-11s, and I helped out with the CBC team this year as well and enjoyed it, and I enjoyed the Con underage stuff as well, it's good oul fun.

"No, I'll definitely come back and support the lads. My son, he's 10 now and he's rugby mad so I was fortunate enough when I was younger to be brought to matches and stuff and Thomond Park and the odd away trip and European match as well, so it would be nice to do the same with him.”

Son Casey, Archer said, was disappointed his father was hanging up the boots.

“He was delighted when I told him (last autumn) I was staying on until the end of the season. He knows the craic, he's 10 now and is getting to the stage where he won't be long figuring out, 'Jesus yeah, you're way too old for this!'.

"He doesn't think it at the moment, or he doesn't say it to me anyway. So yeah, look, it's probably nice for him to go into school and say 'my dad plays for Munster'.

"But sure look, he can go in and say, 'he used to play for Munster, have a look at YouTube'.

"Look, it was good to tell him, all right, that I was staying on until the end of the season in November. I've told him now there'll be no u-turns this year and he said, 'Oh, all right, grand'.”

Munster supporters will agree, Archer has given his all to the cause and there is just enough left in the tank for one last push.