Dwayne Peel concentrating a little too hard
We caught up with the Welsh scrum half before he was due to join Sale from Scarlets early in 2008. He chatted about the change of scenery, hitting the headlines, being the victim of many pranks and turning to golf after rugby.
RUGBY WORLD: You’re joining Sale next season. How are you going to cope swapping Llanelli for the big-city lifestyle in Manchester?
DWAYNE PEEL: It should be a good experience, a change of scenery. I’ve not lived outside Wales so it’ll be good to have a change, on and off the field.
RW: At the World Cup, Mark Jones put a sheep in your hotel room. Have you got revenge yet?
DP: Not yet. I’d better be quick, though, because time’s running out. I’ve only got a couple of months left at the Scarlets to get him back.
RW: So what are you planning?
DP: If I told you I’d have to kill you!
RW: You’re well known for your pranks. Care to share any?
DP: I’ve been quite quiet recently. I’m getting older now and I’m trying to keep my head down. Mark told you most of the ones I did, like cutting the crotch out of all his trousers and pants.
RW: Why do you always target Mark?
DP: He’s a soft target and continuously bites. I take it all in my stride. At the World Cup it was Matthew Rees and Alix Popham putting all the bikes and stuff in Mark’s room, but I got the blame. The sheep was an unprovoked attack.
Jokers, Puppy woes and Deadliest Catch…
RW: So who are the other jokers?
DP: Robin McBryde was really good, but now he’s a coach he doesn’t really do anything. He was always playing about with people’s cars. He once parked mine on a roundabout.
RW: If your house was on fire, what three things would you save?
DP: My dog, Roco. He’s one now but is still a nightmare round the house, chewing things. He’s getting worse! I’d also save my laptop because it has all my pictures on it. And the Sky Plus box.
RW: What do you record on Sky Plus?
DP: I like documentaries. I watch them all the time. I really like Deadliest Catch on Discovery. It’s about fishing for lobster and crab in the Bering Sea.
RW: What’s your pre-match routine?
DP: It depends what time kick-off is, but I usually have a lie-in. Then I’ll watch a bit of TV, chill out and eat beans on toast.
RW: What are the best and worst headlines you’ve seen about yourself?
DP: When I joined Sale, the South Wales Evening Post ran a story with a pic of me on the front page with a mini story about me leaving. The main article, though, had a massive headline saying ‘We Don’t Want Sex Pests Here’. The boys were saying that Sale fans had already made their feelings clear and when I went into the club the next day loads of copies had been pinned up.
Vanilla Ice, Being an impatient driver and Future goals…
RW: What’s your karaoke song?
DP: Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice. I only do it when asked, which is not very often.
RW: Do you have any phobias?
DP: Snakes, I hate them. I think I’d really freak out if I ever saw one.
RW: What about your bugbears?
DP: I live out in the country and people fly-tipping really bugs me. Why do it? I also hate roadworks and I can’t stand being in traffic – I get really impatient.
RW: Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with?
DP: The Rolling Stones – it would be brilliant for stories in there.
RW: What superpower would you like?
DP: Invisibility. I’d like to go into a big organisation like the CIA and see what went on, find out secrets.
RW: What would you like to achieve outside of rugby?
DP: I’d like to be a single-handicap golfer. At the moment I’m at 13 – it’s close but not close enough.
RW: When did you last laugh?
DP: I laugh every day.
Learn more about Dwayne’s teammates at Wales…