Danny Cipriani found himself on the losing side at Sale as the Sharks saw off Aviva Premiership-leaders Wasps with a crucial bonus point victory at AJ Bell stadium last weekend.
Samoan rugby league international Denny Solomona scored a hat-trick for the relegation-threatened Sharks in their 34-28 win, but it took the introduction of a Munster and Ireland rugby legend in Peter Stringer to seal the deal in the dying minutes.
Stringer turned 39 in December and was introduced for Mike Phillips by Sale head coach Steve Diamond to close the show as his Sharks neared a result which would have moved them 10 points clear of the relegation spots.
He made quite the impact, and single-handedly put a kibosh on a Wasps scrum in midfield as the league leaders tried to recover the six-point deficit. When the referee asked Wasps number 8 Alex Rieder to use it, 'Strings' charged around the side of the scrum and swallowed him up, leading to a penalty for Sale.
From the ensuing maul and lineout, Stringer and his forwards closed the game out - with Stringer even having to fend off a Wasps counter-ruck and protect the ball with just seconds remaining.
39 and not out for the Cork man, who has enjoyed quite the Indian summer in England.
