A genuine wing wizard, a schoolboy footballer with Man City, David Strettle was ready to take the World Cup by storm. Until injury struck. He spoke to www.rucked.com
How’s things David?
From a personal or club point of view?
A club?
Well, Quins had the best start this season up until recently. We went to Gloucester six or seven weeks ago and were unlucky not to get the win. We’ve come off the rails a bit with regards to the EDF and Heineken Cup and we’ve had a few performances that were not up to scratch but we’ve always said league was the main focus. We’ve got Sarries, Worcester and Leicester coming up now and they’re the main focus, if we actually results in those games we should be around third or fourth spot.
At least the bad patch happened in the cups?
That’s it, we slipped up in cup comps and every club goes through a bad patch so hopefully ours has happened now and we haven’t sacrificed league points. We showed against Gloucester what happens when we click by scoring four tries in 30 minutes or something.
So what’s been the problem of late?
We’ve struggled to get quick ball and any team struggles with slow rugby. Considering our strengths – an agile pack and fast backline – we need to be moving the ball around the park. We’ve got a good pick up and go game but when you come up against stronger packs that doesn’t work so well.
How much did missing out on the World Cup effect your rugby year?
I’ve always been very grateful with what happened rugby last year because anything detrimental that happened has been out of my control. I was ill in South Africa and then my broke foot four days before the World Cup – there’s not much I could do about either of them. I put myself in a good position and achieved more than I dreamed of – I can’t do anything injury.
Did it making watching the tournament difficult?
When something like that happens, you forget being a rugby and watch it as a fan. If you watch it as a player you feel down about not being there so you’ve got to take a step back because of injury. I just wanted them to go as far as they could, as every fan did.
It wasn’t that long ago that you were in National One?
It’s funny people from the Premiership often say you’ve come a long way from National One but a lot of players – such as Shaun Perry and Dan Ward-Smith – have come from there and there’s a lot more talent still to come from that division. People think things are different just because you haven’t come from an academy set up. I am grateful to Mike Schmid – the coach at Esher – who gave Dean Richards a heads up about me. You need people to give you a hand now and again…
You were nearly a footballer…
I was more focussed on football at school, I signed for a few clubs including City but it just never came to anything and it just happened that at 16 my rugby took off – it wasn’t a conscious to do rugby or football, it just happened that way. I’m grateful in the sense that I was able to play several sports, which meant that although football didn’t happen, I had rugby to concentrate on.
Which do you prefer?
All sports have their ups and downs, when football clicks the interplay and everything is great, but with football you can play without passion whereas with rugby you can’t go into it half-hearted.
Do you play other sports these days? Golf?
I’m the best golfer but I can hit a ball, not consistently though when you’re playing sport day-in and day-out, you need to give your body rest so it’s probably best to take a day off and then go off and play five-a-side.
Does football ever find its way onto the training ground?
We do play sometimes – if you ever want to see a bunch of lads’ eyes light up and with smiles on their face, bring a football out at training!
How you finding playing 13?
When you play for a rugby team you do what’s best for the team, if the coaches think you’ll play best at 13, the you play there. I just love playing rugby, give me the ball in hand and I’m happy.
And for England?
I think if anything it’s beneficial to whoever’s picking the team, it means they can have players who are confident in more than one position, it’s an added bonus. And just because I’ve played a couple of games in the centre, it doesn’t mean I’ve lost my ability to play on the wing. In fact, I now know what a centre expects of a winger…
Is playing for England high on your priorities?
I never set targets, but if you ask about my ideal, then it’s playing and starting for England.
Glad Ashton’s staying?
I’ve always thought highly of Brian because he gave me my chance when he could’ve made an easier call, he put his neck on the line. Whenever he’s coached me or other backs it’s been great too because he’s well into expansive rugby…
You were lucky to be good at sports…
I kind of look back now and think to myself I had to be a professional sportsman really, I did a degree – in sports and exercise science at Sheffield – but I’m not sure what I would’ve done if it hadn’t been for rugby. I’m sure I’ve had found some path and been happy though but in a way I think it was meant to be.
Any New Year’s resolutions?
Maybe healthy eating.
Surely you eat healthily?
I do but I have off days.
And one Christmas present…
My new flat completely decorated, I just bought a place down in London. It’s a work in progress shall we say…