No longer an unknown commodity

Look before you cross the road, always wear clean underwear and beware of second season syndrome are accepted premises but quite irritating if frequently repeated. Peter Stringer smiles when the latter subject is broached and his views are solicited on the differing demands and pressures of his second season on the Ireland team.

Having enjoyed a pivotal and high profile role for both Ireland and Munster last season, Stringer is no longer an unknown commodity for opposing teams. He must also deal with rising expectations and a more substantial analysis of his development as a player.

He has noticed that the goalposts have moved, figuratively. "I'm being educated about second season syndrome," he laughs. "I feel that there is more pressure on me to perform. People have seen you for a season and are looking more. I still have the same belief and confidence, more actually, which is good for my game.

"I do try and improve as the seasons go on. That's what I am trying to do this season, as I have done for the last I don't know how many years. It's no different." His superlative passing and excellent cover tackling have provoked a search for flaws and a common perceived deficiency is a lack of a break.

"It's always at the back of my mind. If there is an option for me to go then I will go. I suppose that is a part of my game I have to develop and not just since I have come onto the international scene. There are a lot of other areas of my game that I need to work on as well.

"Certainly there is pressure from other people. If I was to listen to everyone else then I would be doing things I'm not used to and doing them just for the sake of it which wouldn't be right. The management has trust and confidence in me to do the right thing and hopefully as I develop as a player these things will come with experience.

"Different players have different attributes and are able to contribute to games differently no matter what the position. It is often because of those qualities that they are in the team. I have my style of play and I try as hard as I can for 80 minutes like anyone else. I'm trying to bring more things into my game."

Experience has allowed Stringer to become more comfortable in his surroundings, confessing to being more vocal at the behest of Keith Wood, something the Ireland captain asked of both Stringer and his halfback partner, Ronan O'Gara.

Stringer relishes Sunday's opportunity to test himself against South Africa at Lansdowne Road and an opportunity to face a player he has long admired, Springbok scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen. "I admire his game even though when you think about it he is the complete opposite to me as a player: but still I admire and respect him for what he has achieved including captaining his country.

"If he is playing on Sunday, I'll be looking forward to it. It's sometimes weird when you have admired a guy from the perspective of a television set to come face to face with them. Everyone is interested in his opposite number and for those in direct conflict, as opposed to say the full backs, there is the motivation to trying to win the personal duel.

"As scrumhalves we are so close on the field, shoulder to shoulder or where ever my shoulder goes up to on him and that means you see a lot of each other. I'm looking forward to it."