Age just a number for Bath's Grewcock
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:10
Father Time might be marching on but that has not stopped Danny Grewcock from preparing for yet another gruelling season for Bath in their quest for the Guinness Premiership title.
Lock Grewcock is one of the few players from England's 2003 World Cup-winning squad still actively playing rugby, and amazingly he seems to keep going in remarkable fashion despite his advancing years.
And such is the veteran's resilience that he has signed a two-year contract extension with Bath, which means that he will be turning out at the Recreation Ground until at least 2010, fitness permitting.
The forward is of course a household name in England, having earned 69 caps for England, and also completed tours with the British and Irish Lions in 2001 and 2005.
"When I first joined Saracens [in 1998], I probably would have thought 30 was my limit," Grewcock told PA Sport.
"But then when you get to 30 and you still feel good, you think 'I've got a few more years left.' You can't plan too far ahead because you don't know what is around the corner.
"But I have managed to stay relatively injury-free in my career, so I've had a fair bit of good luck, which has helped.
"I am still enjoying it, and the coaches we've got at Bath are constantly opening your eyes to different aspects of the game that you want to move on with.
"I am probably not the quickest guy in the squad - that has been proved in pre-season training! - but I still feel there are lots of aspects to my game I can work on and improve.
"As long as I am fit and I still feel I am improving, then I will keep playing. The enjoyment aspect of it all is massive."
Grewcock has seen many players come and go throughout his club and international career, but admitted that the loss of fellow lock and new England captain Steve Borthwick to Saracens was a big blow.
"It was a very sad day to see Steve go," he said. "He was a great player for Bath and a great guy to play alongside, and I am sure I will now have some good battles playing against him.
"The loss of Steve was unfortunate, but signing guys like Stuart Hooper and Justin Harrison, plus Peter Short already being here and some young guys coming through, I don't see there being any kind of weakness.
"For the guys leaving like Olly [Barkley, signed for Gloucester] and Steve, we wanted them to leave the club with a trophy, and for the guys who retired it is nice to think their last game was a final that we won.
"It was a pleasing day. We were due a good day, and it came for us.
"It was also a very emotional day for a lot of guys, but it was nice to finish on a high, which hadn't happened for a while."
Grewcock looked back at some seasons past, stating that the players will have learned from the hard times, which is evident in Bath's rise to clinch the Challenge Cup last season.
"For the players, losing is tough. Hopefully, the guys learnt a lot from the tough seasons we did have.
"Equally, when things are going well everyone feels fresher and a bit keener. When you see the guys scoring tries, it is quite a bug everyone wants.
"It certainly keeps me going. Having a successful season last season was very motivating.
"The Premiership is a fantastic competition that just gets better and better, and being back in the Heineken Cup this season is huge for us.
"As for the law variations, I think we will be ready for them.
"There is a slight change in the way teams are going to have to play this season, and the teams that get it right first are the ones who are going to come out on top."
